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In the event of risks and side effects, as is often the case with medication, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist. But what about the side effects of vaping? Is there such a thing? And if so, how can you react accordingly? Researchers now agree that e-cigarettes are a good alternative for those who want to quit smoking or are recommended. However, switching from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes can have some side effects. Fortunately, these are well researched, and most are hardly noticeable or appear only for a limited time. But since it can be helpful, especially for beginners, to know the side effects of e-cigarettes before they are confronted with them later, we would like to take a closer look at this topic today.
Research results on the side effects of vaping
Two different types of research deal with the side effects of vaping. One of them seeks dialogue with the vapers themselves and asks about their experiences, preferences, habits, and side effects they experience. The other studies focus primarily on the function of the e-cigarette as a means of helping people to quit smoking. Questions about the side effects often arise with these too.
The result of these studies
In short, most of these studies conclude that vaping has mild side effects. Such as irritation of the mouth and throat or coughing. However, these symptoms usually subside over time. The studies also found that using e-cigarettes could drastically reduce the consumption of conventional tobacco cigarettes.
Typical side effects of vaping
These are the side effects that emerge from studies or surveys as the most common:
Cough
Coughing as a side effect is particularly common when vaping for the first time, and the optimal settings are not selected here. It also appeared as a side effect in various studies. The research results show that between 20 and 30% of all new vapers have difficulties coughing at the beginning. However, the researchers also determined at the same time that the symptoms quickly set in for most people or even disappeared completely. While surveys indicated that around 50% of vapers started coughing more often, this dropped to around 10% later, which is a significant discount. For most vapers, the cough subsided almost as quickly as it came. To help, it helps to experiment with your vapor technique or adjust the composition of the liquid so that the throat hit is a little less.
Dehydration/Sore throat/Dry throat/Dry nose
Even if propylene glycol is approved as an additive throughout the EU, some side effects can still be observed when consuming it, and it is useful to be aware of them. These mainly include dehydration, a dry throat, or a dry nose. All of these effects are also enhanced by the ingestion of nicotine. Surveys show that around a third of all vapers have experienced a sore throat related to PG. E-Juice is typically composed of PG (Propylene Glycol) and VG (Vegetable Glycerin), both known to draw moisture from the environment. This has a corresponding effect on the mouth and throat of the vaper. PG can also provide a strong throat hit, which some vapers find uncomfortable or annoying. But not only these substances in the e-liquid can cause unpleasant symptoms. Nicotine also affects the feeling of the throat hit, and vaping with a very high amount of nicotine can also cause a dry feeling in the throat. However, since most vapers have smoked regularly, people should already be used to this feeling of nicotine.
headache
Headaches are another relatively common side effect of vaping. Study results show that about every tenth vaper suffers from headaches at the beginning. However, other studies have shown that, at least in the long term, headaches continue to occur in less than five percent. Even then, there is usually a connection between headaches and using an e-liquid with a high percentage of propylene glycol. It can therefore be assumed that dehydration could also be the main cause here, which is why we can only advise beginners or those vapers who regularly suffer from headaches to drink enough, especially in the phases in which a lot is vaped. Headaches can also signify that too much nicotine has been used, so reducing the amount of nicotine can lead to the desired reduction in symptoms.
nausea and dizziness
Nausea and dizziness are also common symptoms among new vapers. This is reported by around 5% of vapers, with most complaints spanning the first month of vaping. The symptoms are much less common in people who vape for a longer period of time. While propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine are the culprits for most symptoms, nausea and dizziness can be traced back to too much nicotine. If you experience one or both of these symptoms yourself, the first step should be to take a break from vaping to avoid making them worse. However, suppose you do not experience a reduction in vaping over time and suffer from nausea again and again. In that case, the nicotine strength should be reduced to avoid the problem in the future.
stomach pain
Even if this effect is not reported by many and is hardly mentioned as a problem worth mentioning in studies, some vapers suffer from abdominal pain when switching to e-cigarettes. Again, this can also be due to too much nicotine. However, in some cases, the problem can be the opposite. For example, if you have drastically reduced nicotine intake, abdominal pain can also be a withdrawal symptom. In any case, the symptoms should set in quickly. However, if you suffer from a painful feeling in your stomach for longer, you should consult a doctor.
asthma
A common accusation from non-vapers is that vaping is responsible for asthma attacks. While there are no clear study results here, one occasionally hears of isolated cases where vaping has caused asthma symptoms. However, most vapers report that their asthma has improved significantly after switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes. Most smokers experience a rapid and lasting improvement in their symptoms by switching, so asthma should not be presented as a common side effect.
Steamer Tongue
The phenomenon that after a while of regular vaping, the vaper can hardly perceive certain e-liquid flavors is referred to as the vaper’s tongue. This often affects the flavors that have been overused. However, the tongue’s slightly numb feeling has hardly been the subject of research. In many cases, other causes are responsible for the symptom, such as a cold, stress, or medication consumption. If you still want to fight the slightly numb tongue, it helps to change the flavor and switch to a stronger taste. It would help if you drank plenty of water or tea to neutralize your mouth. Home remedies here include licking a lemon or using mouthwash. In most cases, waiting until your tongue has recovered a little is sufficient.
Proper handling of propylene glycol
Propylene Glycol binds and absorbs water, which is responsible for the most common side effects experienced by newbie vapers (dehydration, sore throat, dry mouth, etc.). Fortunately, there are various ways to counteract these sometimes unpleasant effects.
1: Drink a lot
Plenty of water should be drunk to combat dehydration and keep the mouth moist. It is better to avoid coffee or soft drinks to quench your thirst.
2: Adjust the mixing ratio
The mixing ratio between VG and PG is usually also printed on the packaging of commercially available e-liquids. If you have problems with dehydration, you should tend to choose a higher VG ratio to mitigate the side effects.
3: Choose E-Liquid with 100% VG
We admit that this solution is far from ideal. There’s a reason why very few vapers use pure vegetable glycerin. This can clog the evaporator, and you also hardly feel a throat hit. However, if the only alternative is to start smoking again, vaping with 100% VG should be preferred.
In the end, it should be noted that VG also causes a certain loss of fluids and that you should still drink a lot to compensate for this.
Side effects of nicotine
While it is true that there are some side effects from nicotine, in most cases, these are not relevant to vapers. Most vapers switch from smoking to e-cigarettes and are already used to nicotine. However, we don’t want to leave the effects unmentioned.
1: dependency
Nicotine is known to have an addictive effect. But it should be taken into account here that e-cigarettes deliver significantly less nicotine than is the case with conventional cigarettes. Other addictive substances produced when tobacco is burned do not occur when vaping, so the risk of addiction is noticeably reduced here. Initial research results also show that e-cigarettes are less addictive than normal cigarettes.
2: blood pressure
Nicotine can cause short-term increases in blood pressure, although studies show that long-term use tends to be more of a problem with blood pressure drops. Everyone does not feel these symptoms, but they should still be kept in mind.
3: Cancer
Contrary to popular belief, nicotine does not cause cancer. Instead, it is smoke inhalation that increases the risk of cancer. You can avoid this side effect by switching to e-cigarettes.
Other side effects of nicotine:
- burping
- headache
- Sore mouthfeel
- Increased appetite
- Sore throat
- jaw pain
- Increased saliva production
Stop smoking
Even if we have named many side effects, it can be the case that there will be isolated symptoms or complaints that we have not mentioned. However, the guilt does not always lie with the e-cigarette. Instead, in many cases, it is simply the switch itself, namely the switch from conventional to e-cigarettes, that is responsible for the side effects being noticed. For example, it’s not uncommon for new vapers to complain of mouth sores, a common symptom in people just quitting smoking. The same applies to all cold-like symptoms, such as a cough, sore throat, or headache. It remains difficult to say whether a symptom comes from the e-cigarette or the fact that you have just stopped smoking. So there is nothing left to do but to take care of the problem as best as possible and then wait. If you have a headache, you should drink a lot to see if the pain subsides. Taking a break or switching to an e-liquid with a lower nicotine strength can help with nausea. If the symptoms persist for a longer period, there is a high probability that they are withdrawal symptoms that have nothing to do with the e-cigarette.
Nicotine overdose
Nicotine overdose is particularly rare in both smoking and vaping. There are strict guidelines throughout Germany and the EU regarding the maximum amount of nicotine contained in a liquid. In addition, it is common for people with nicotine dependence to find it very easy to dose and stop before ingesting too much nicotine. However, if you overdo it, you might notice one or more of the following symptoms:
- dizziness
- feeling weak
- nausea and vomiting
- Rapid heartbeat
- stomach pain
If you experience these symptoms, stop vaping immediately and lie down instead. The good news is that the human body processes nicotine very quickly. The symptoms wear off quickly, and once you stop taking nicotine, they never last long.
Positive side effects of vaping
All studies that have specifically dealt with the side effects of e-cigarettes have been able to observe a large number of positive side effects among the participants. Vapers have reported several improvements, some even from pre-existing chronic conditions. So there are many good reasons for smokers to give up cigarettes and use e-cigarettes instead.
- Improving overall health
- Easier and improved breathing
- Increased stamina
- Improvement of smell and taste
- Less cough
- Improvement in asthma and other diseases
Conclusion
If you switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, you will likely experience some side effects. However, most of the negative side effects will turn out to be temporary and rather mild compared to the negative effects of smoking. Even the researchers who have dedicated themselves to investigating said effects concluded that the positive changes that occur due to the change outweigh the negative side effects at the end of their studies.
About CAK Vape
CAK Vape is a premium manufacturer supplying reliable vaping products for our worldwide clients. We run our own factories based in China and put a lot of effort into making sure what we produce are in line with the highest standard and regulations like TPD vape. And we also provide vape OEM service to help you build your own vape brand. If you are interested in our product and service, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
