Can Vaping Cause Lung Disease?

Over six decades of methodical research have provided irrefutable evidence that smoking is bad for your health. Besides the fact that nicotine is highly addictive, cigarettes contain thousands of harmful chemicals, dozens of which are either poisonous or carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

Vaping, on the other hand, is relatively new in the United States, with e-cigarettes having first arrived in the national marketplace in 2006. With the release of flavored vapes in 2015, the habit has become increasingly popular, especially among teens, in the last decade. 

Its novelty, along with still-evolving regulation and a lack of long-term research, have led to the widespread assumption that vaping is a safe alternative to smoking. But is it? Our expert team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates is here to provide further insight. 

A short tutorial on vaping 

Vaping uses a device, such as an e-cigarette or vape pen, to heat a liquid — called vape juice or e-liquid — until it turns into an inhalable aerosol vapor. Vape devices are generally regarded as tobacco products, given that 99% of e-cigarettes contain nicotine. They may also contain:

• Flavoring chemicals
• Cannabis (THC, CBD)
• Ultra-fine particles 
• Toxic heavy metals
• Volatile organic compounds
• Carcinogenic substances

The ultra-fine particles in vape aerosols can be inhaled deep into your lungs. Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, nickel, and cobalt can be toxic and sometimes carcinogenic, even at low levels; they can also build up in your blood and travel to other parts of your body, including your brain. 

Even a seemingly benign ingredient, like vape flavorings, may pose a health threat. A flavoring agent called diacetyl, for example, has been linked to a serious lung disease (see below). 

Safer than cigarettes? 

Many people view vaping as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking, largely because e-cigarettes and vape pens contain far fewer than the 600 ingredients in cigarettes and the 7,000 airborne chemicals those ingredients create when a cigarette is burning. 

Vaping may also be seen as less harmful because it comes in tempting flavors, doesn’t stink or stain like cigarette smoke, is easier to hide, carries less stigma than smoking, and is often touted as a “healthy” smoking cessation tool. 

No, vaping isn’t harmless

Compared to cigarettes, vape products contain fewer ingredients and chemicals (many of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are created as the tobacco burns). However, vapes contain far more nicotine. 

A decade ago, the average vape cartridge had the same nicotine content as 20 cigarettes (a single pack). Today, vapes often contain as much nicotine as 600 cigarettes, or three cartons worth. This characteristic makes vaping exceptionally addictive (and bad for adolescent brain development). 

Known harms of vaping 

Vaping hasn’t been around long enough to fully understand its potential risks and long-term health effects, but researchers are continually learning more. 

It remains to be seen whether vaping is associated with a lower, equal, or higher risk of lung cancer and lung disease compared to cigarettes. Still, researchers have conclusively linked vaping to irreversible lung damage as well as lung disease. This includes: 

Acute lung injury

A condition called e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is specifically linked to vape products with synthetic vitamin E, which is found in some THC vapes. EVALI can be severe, potentially requiring hospitalization and a ventilator; in some cases, it can even be fatal. 

Bronchiolitis obliterans

Commonly known as popcorn lung, this inflammatory lung disease is linked to diacetyl, the same flavoring chemical used in microwave popcorn. Indeed, the first cases of the disease were identified in people who worked at microwave popcorn plants. 

Characterized by scarring of the lungs’ smallest airways, bronchiolitis causes coughing (especially during and after exercise), wheezing, and shortness of breath. 

COPD and asthma

E-cigarettes contain acetaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, and other dangerous chemicals that are associated with lung injury as well as inflammatory lung disease (i.e., COPD, asthma). Vape chemicals are also linked to an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease. 

Lipoid pneumonia

Lipoid pneumonia is the result of inhaling oily substances found in e-liquid, which triggers an inflammatory response in your lungs that leads to shortness of breath and chronic coughing. Lipoid pneumonia typically only improves when vaping stops.

Possible lung cancer

Vaping requires long-term study to determine its connection to lung cancer. What’s known is that vapes contain cancer-causing chemicals, and like smoking, their ultra-fine particles can be deposited deep within the bronchial tree, potentially leading to cancer. 

Yes, you can quit vaping 

Would you like to quit vaping, breathe easier, and safeguard your health? We can provide a smoking cessation plan to support you every step of the way. Get started by filling out our COPD assessment test today, and then schedule a visit at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates in Allen, McKinney, or Plano, Texas, at your convenience.