VAPING: Don't let it cloud your future.
A new rising pandemic known as vaping is increasingly forming part of the everyday life of not only teenagers but adults nowadays. More than 1 in 4 high school students uses a vape daily.
14.1% (2.14 million) of high school students and 3.3% (380,000) of middle school students reported current e-cigarette use/vaping.
There were an estimated 55 million e-cigarette users worldwide in 2021.
Recent reports list 2,807 cases in the US that involved hospital visits from using vaping and e-cigarettes. This led to a total of 68 people dying from vaping in 2020.
There are almost 5,000 kids less than five years of age who went to a hospital emergency room after being in contact with nicotine from e-cigarettes or vaping.
Short-term vaping and the usage of e-cigarettes were once seen as a more healthy substitute for individuals to stop smoking or reduce the amount of smoking daily. However, recently the trend of using vapes or e-cigarettes has grown significantly and is now becoming an even bigger health risk.
What is vaping?
E-cigarettes (often called vape pens) are battery-operated vaping devices that heat a liquid until it becomes an aerosol (mist), which is inhaled. The aerosol is not just water vapor. It usually contains nicotine, other harmful chemicals, and flavorings. Even e-cigarettes that claim to have no nicotine have been found to contain nicotine. Some might contain marijuana, herbs, or oils.
Health risks of vaping:
Nicotine dependence
Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and regular use thereof will lead to dependence.
Nicotine also interferes with brain development in adolescents and changes brain cell activity in parts of the brain responsible for attention, learning, and memory.
Cancer risk
E-cigarettes produce several dangerous chemicals including acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. These aldehydes can cause lung disease, as well as cardiovascular (heart) disease.
Lung disease
E-cigarettes also contain acrolein, a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds. It can cause acute lung injury and COPD and may cause asthma and lung cancer
Heart disease
many research studies prove that vaping causes increases in blood pressure and may lead to possible heart disease, and a higher risk for strokes, anginas, and heart failure.
Symptoms and side effects of vaping:
Popcorn lung, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing.
Increased blood pressure.
Narrowed arteries.
Anxiety
Nausea and vomiting
Dry and irritated mouth and throat
Addiction
Stomach pain
Mood changes
What is EVALI?
EVALI is short for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated with lung injury.
It’s a serious lung condition caused by vaping. EVALI can be fatal.
Symptoms of EVALI include:
Stomach pain.
Fast heartbeat.
Can your lungs heal over time?
Some damage to your lungs from vaping can heal or get better with medications over time.
Other damage such as lung scarring, are permanent. Over time, constant irritation to your lungs can lead to health problems (like asthma and COPD) that are permanent and can not be healed with treatment.
Vaping and e-cigarettes can be used to help aid in quitting smoking but it does not come without its risks and side effects. To quit smoking, please seek medical advice from your doctor or pharmacist.
However, vaping has become a trend more than a treatment, especially among the youth.
Vaping has significant damaging side effects that can change the life of an individual irreversibly, therefore before you decide to start vaping consider the long-term effects such a bad habit can have on your health.
Vaping leads to irreversible and undeniable side effects and health risks.
Do not let it cloud your future.
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