What are the health mistakes vapers will make when vaping

Any kind of addiction is always harmful to the body. Vaping helps the addicted person to come out of it. It is nothing but taking in and exhaling aerosol, also known as vapor. This is done with the help of e-cigarette or a device similar to that like vape pens and personal vaporizers which are advanced and also called “MODS”. However, vaping should be done in a proper way, otherwise, it may lead to health risks.

The electronic cigarettes or vaporizers are created in such a way that small amounts of oil or liquid gets heated until a vapor which is inhalable is produced by them. However, the vape has not been approved by the FDA yet. Even researches done to know the health risks associated with this are not adequate. Still, no judgment is given as to how safe vaping is. However, Sherry Ross, a gynecologist and expert at the health of women from St. John’s Health Center told Bustle (online American Women’s magazine) that the fluid is made up of solvents, flavor, propylene glycol and nicotine may also be present in it. Nicotine is considered to be harmful as it may cause cancer. However, as the presence of nicotine is not proven in vaping, it is not so harmful like smoking of cigarettes. There are some side effects of vaping like facial burning or rash, dry mouth, skin can be dried and some allergies caused by the e-liquid like a nosebleed, puffy and dry eyes, itching, etc.

According to Dr. Ross, with time and more research, the actual risks of vaping (on health) will be known. Till then the vapers can follow some tips to stay healthy. Firstly, they should buy the vapes from trustworthy sources, a store selling vapes or a smoke shop, it may be online also. A person called Peter Hyman who has founded the Smokesmith Gear said that the purchaser should also go through the instructions carefully and clarify any doubts about the e-cigarette or the juice that they are acquiring.

Following are some health mistakes that the vaper makes often while vaping.

  • Dry vaping: The vapes or e-cigarettes work in a unique way. Mainly there are e-coils, also called wicks, which is heated thus turning the fluid into a vapor. The e-cig has a chamber and if the vapers do not put enough juice into that chamber and start smoking that empty e-cig, they will inhale dry vapors. This way, a burning sensation will be created at the back portion of the throat. According to Caleb Backe, an expert of wellness and health at Maple Holistics, dry vaping is the torment of vapers all over the world and hence they should not vape without examining.

  • Selecting a high percentage of Nicotine: Generally, these vape liquids are available with different levels of nicotine. Hence the users should select them according to their mode of usage. Those who are regular smokers may select low nicotine levels. However, casual smokers will cause harm to themselves if they switch to vapes, as it may lead to more nicotine consumption which is harmful to their health. It may so happen that a user cannot make out which level of nicotine to be chosen. In this case, he may choose the lowest level or can also consult a professional.

  • Purchasing cheap equipment: The equipment being expensive, there may be a tendency amongst the users to buy cheaper ones. However, this idea is not necessarily a good one. According to Backe, the vapes containing cheap materials can be very dangerous. The vapers should also be aware that some of these cheap vapes are also proven to burst into flames on fire. Also, the Surgeon General said that there are known instances when e-cigarettes with defective batteries caused explosions which have led to serious injuries. However, such accidents mostly happened while charging the batteries.

  • Usage of products which are cheap: Aside from the cheap equipment, it is also harmful to inhale from liquids which are made of cheap products. Another person named Damon Inlow, who owns Vaporizers.CA, told Bustle that breathing from liquids which are not branded ones can be dangerous. They can be products made with glues or wiring and hence, along with burning, can cause harm to lungs on inhalation. In order to avoid this, buyers should purchase creditable products from reputed dealers.

  • Excessive smoking: Anything more than necessary is not good for health. Similarly inhaling the vapes in excess amount can cause a lot of damage. As vapors are much lighter than smoke, sometimes it becomes difficult for the smoker to gauge the amount they have inhaled. According to Hyman, the smoke is not measurable most of the time apart from the inhaled juices which produce clouds. These e-cigarettes are also not measurable as they diminish fast and as they are not available in packets, they cannot be measured. This way, the vaper can be inhaling more nicotine. Hence the advice is to start slowly until the right amount to be inhaled is discernible.

  • Choosing an E-juice which is very toxic: According to Hyman, there are two types of bases of e-juices available in the market, PG and VG. One is propylene glycerol and the other is vegetable glycerine. VG juices are very thick and can block the coils easily whereas the PG juices have a more intense flavor and can produce a large amount of vapor. The result of inhaling this depends on the novelty of the vaper. For a novice, it is always very common to use the juice which does not fit him. Hence it is very important to research properly before choosing the e-juice as there is a wide variety of these available in the market and some may be more toxic.

  • Excessive vaping because of modifications: As e-cigarettes are light and easy to smoke, the vapers keep puffing continuously the whole day long. This way they do not realize the amount of nicotine they are inhaling. However, due to the modifications made to vaping, it may be easier for them to smoke. In this era of e-cigarettes, there are some websites which promote selling advanced vapes, also known as box mods (according to Hyman). Such vapes are very strong and the user consumes excessive vapor from these. Hence, it is always advisable to the beginners to start off slowly. There is a specific rate of learning and this way the vapers will not inhale more than intended and fall sick.

  • Not maintaining the vapes: It is always important to keep the vapes clean and well maintained (according to Inlow). The tubes and screens within the vape have to be changed timely so that clean vapors are emanated.

  • When the coil in the vape gets old: Very commonly the vapers make mistakes. This mainly happens when replacing the old coil. Many a time the coils are not changed at all. This may lead to dryness hitting the back of the throat thus causing a burning sensation. There are advanced vapes which need timely maintenance. The beginners may not be aware of this and hence may get harmed by the old coils. These advanced vapes have wicks and coils, the maintenance of which needs some knowledge as well. Hence the new users should take expert advice regarding this.

  • When washing of the tank is not done: Switching between flavors is a very common practice amongst the vapers. They sometimes use fruity e-juice, sometimes savory, and so on. While doing this, they often forget to wash the tanks. It should be remembered that the tanks should be washed before changing the juice. If not done, the juices will get blended resulting in a bad taste and flavor. Sticking to one flavor is always advisable, as blending means more chemical smoking. According to Hyman, smoking unflavored e-juice is the best practice of the lot.

  • Blowing the vape on someone’s face: According to Backe, while smoking, one should be aware of the environment and the people around him. It is always advisable to avoid smoking in restaurants, movie theaters, or other confined places where there is a crowd. It is still unknown whether secondhand vaping is harmful to health or not. As vaping is considered to be not as harmful as cigarette smoking, people are very casual about it. Often times they indulge in blowing the vape on other’s faces, which leads to secondhand smoke. This is not fair.

Hence, lastly, vapers should be much more careful about inhaling the e-juice vapor and can thus lower the health risks.

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