Vaping and electronic cigarettes are considered a safer choice for smokers. But does their use just causes them … different problems in the lungs?

What do you need to know:

In the US there have been reports of rare but severe cases of lung damage.

Health professionals are worried about the long -term implications so far.

Teenagers may be particularly vulnerable to the dangers of vaping.

A 17 -year -old girl in the United States was recently diagnosed with “popcorn lung) after being hidden for three years. This irreversible condition, known as obstructive bronchiolitis, creates scars in the tiny bronchi (airbags) in the lungs, essentially preventing one’s ability to breathe.

Although rarely, her case is likely to indicate a more general problem. In 2019, nearly 3,000 cases of pulmonary diseases associated with the use of electronic cigarette or vaping products – with the term Evali – to US Disease Control and Prevention Centers, were reported. Of those, 68 people died, mainly teenagers and young adults.

“Some of the most serious cases of pulmonary diseases are occasionally concerned with newspaper headlines,” said Donal O’Eyi, a professor of chemistry at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences RCSI in Ireland. “But in the background there is the slow and serious damage to the lungs of those who vaporize.”

Although vaping is sometimes described as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, scientists are worried about how little we know about its long -term effects on lung health.

How harmful is the electronic cigarette for health?

Electronic cigarette fluid contains chemicals mixed with nicotine salts and aromatic substances. These ingredients create thousands of potential chemical combinations when mixed together. And no one knows exactly what happens when they are inhaled by the lungs.

‘He has never been tested to put [αυτές τις χημικές ουσίες] On a device, warm them and inhale them, “says O’Sei,” how you introduce a compound or chemical in your body is very important to determine its toxicity, “he adds. Which tissue will this chemical first come across? The sensitive pulmonary tissue that does not recover, he says. And so, “prolonged scars and the damage to the pulmonary tissue over the years will eventually lead to popcorn lung,” the expert concludes.

The effects of the electronic cigarette on the human body are still studying, but there are already alarming patterns. Studies show that it causes inflammation in the lungs, with users reporting coughing, throat irritation and shortness of breath.

“It has historically needed decades of research to prove that smoking is causing diseases, with companies selling these products to deny that they are causing harm,” says O’Say, who stresses that this story seems to be repeated now with the electronic cigarette.

Scientists and health professionals are concerned about the gaps we have about the possible long -term health effects. Traditional cigarettes have been studied for decades, with cancer being a confirmed consequence. On the contrary, electronic cigarettes have only gained popularity in the last decade, which means that their long -term effects are less studied.

Health professionals are worried that electronic cigarettes make nicotine addiction easier: “What we actually see is that younger people are very addicted very quickly,” says O’Say, referring to the dangers of younger ages.

Curated by: Chryssa Vachcevanou