Today, we have witnessed an alarming and dramatic rise to prominence of vaping among most age groups, particularly teenagers. A study conducted on high school seniors indicated that more than 35% of them were vaping in 2018. This is 28 percent more than the number of high school students that vaped in 2017.
While the number of vapers around the world continues to increase, the question remains whether our lungs are damaged by vaping?
In this post, we will take a quick look at things we do not and do know about vaping.
Studies On Lung Disease And Vaping
You have probably already come across several claims that some people have died due to lung diseases caused by vaping.
Here are a few reports that linked lung disease to vaping:
• More than 200 E-Cig users have been diagnosed with chronic lung disease in over 20 states in the US. This report indicated that the victims were mostly young adults and teenagers.
• Most experts had a difficult time holding vaping directly responsible for this lung disease as they suspect that there is an infectious contaminant present in the E-cig. They summarized the possibilities of these contaminants to allergies or immune reactions to the chemical compound inhaled and chemical irritation.
• Several studies indicated that victims only went to see their doctor when they had severe breathing issues, it began with chest pain or shortness of breath. Find more facts about vaping here.
• There is no definite flavor or brand that has been linked to any of these cases.
Further investigations and studies are still being carried out on the cause, treatment, and prevention of this disease.
Things We Do Not Know About Lung Disease And Vaping
For now, we do not know the extent of the risk, or how many vapers are at risk of lung disease. For instance, we do not know if a history of breathing issues such as asthma or smoking marijuana increases the vaper’s risk of lung disease. We are yet to fully determine the chemical contaminant that is suspected to be responsible for these lung issues.
Currently, it is difficult to determine the age group that is at most risk of lung damage from vaping. Finally, we do not know if the use of E-Cigs is responsible for lung disease.
While the investigations into the relationship between lung disease and vaping are ongoing, making a conclusion is proving difficult. However, we remain hopeful that we will get an answer from these investigations soon.
Things We Know About The Benefits Of Vaping
Several studies indicate that vaping is most beneficial to people who intend to quit smoking as it can help them through the nicotine withdrawal process. However, health institutions have warned that pregnant women, young adults, adults, and youth who have never smoked traditional cigarettes should avoid vaping.
Conclusion
While vaping is beneficial to people looking to quit smoking, it is still unclear if any form of it can be linked to lung disease.
