Vapes and e-cigarettes when you have a lung condition

Vaping is when you use an electronic device called a vape to inhale vapour rather than smoke. Vapes are sometimes called electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

Although research into the long-term effects of vaping is still ongoing, current evidence shows that vaping is much less harmful than smoking. But vaping is not risk free, and clean air is always best for your lungs. That’s why we do not recommend vaping for children, young people, or people who do not smoke.

Dr Matthew Swallow, Asthma + Lung UK’s Clinical Lead

The evidence says that vaping is less harmful for your lungs and overall health than smoking tobacco in the short term.  

This is because vapes do not burn tobacco or produce smoke, so you’re exposed to much lower levels of harmful chemicals like tar and carbon monoxide than smoking.  

We need more research about the long-term effects of vaping on lungs and overall health, including studies in people that have never smoked.  

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health reviewed evidence on the impact of vaping in children and young people. This review found that in the short and medium-term, there are links between vaping and a higher risk of lung symptoms like coughing, as well as struggling with mental health and smoking tobacco.

It’s possible that long-term vaping can cause inflammation in the airways, which may cause harm over time.    

The way that vaping affects your lungs depends on your smoking history. In people who do not smoke, vaping is likely to cause more harm than not vaping at all. Nicotine vaping can also be addictive and cause withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. This is why the NHS says it’s important that vapes are only used by people who are trying to quit smoking.  

If you have a lung condition and are vaping to stop yourself from smoking, it’s a good idea to stop vaping eventually. But it’s important to make sure that quitting vaping is the right option for you, in order to make sure that you don’t go back to smoking. Find out more about quitting vaping, including if it’s right for you.  

There’s a lot of information about vaping and it can be difficult to know what to trust. Find out more about:

• vaping myths and facts from the NHS
• making sense of risks and benefits from the Patient Information Forum (PIF) 
• finding trusted health advice online from our blog and PIF.

Always ask a healthcare professional, like your pharmacist, if you have any questions. You do not need an appointment to speak to a pharmacist.

How can vaping affect my lung condition?

There is not much research about how vaping can affect people with lung conditions. But switching to vaping may improve symptoms for some people compared to carrying on smoking.

Some people with lung conditions tell us that vaping and second-hand vapour can trigger their symptoms. This is because breathing in the chemicals in the vapour may trigger your lung symptoms in a similar way to air pollution, cold weather, dust, or pollen. Speak to your GP or nurse if this is the case.

Everybody is different. It’s important to be aware of what can trigger your symptoms to reduce your risk of having an asthma attack or flare-up. 

Find out about: 

• asthma triggers
• bronchiectasis flare-ups
• COPD flare-ups and triggers.

You could use our symptom diary to record to your day-to-day symptoms. Understanding your usual symptoms could help you notice whether any patterns or changes in your symptoms are related to particular triggers.

Vaping and ‘popcorn lung’

People sometimes worry that vapes can cause a condition called bronchiolitis obliterans, known as ‘popcorn lung’. The flavouring chemical diacetyl that is thought to cause this condition is banned in vapes in the UK.

The impacts of breathing in vapour from someone else’s vape (second-hand or passive vaping) are still unclear. Because of this, the NHS says that it’s best to avoid vaping around children if you can. 

But so far, experts believe that vapour from vapes is not as harmful as tobacco smoke. This is because the vapour does not contain tar and carbon monoxide, which are the most dangerous substances in tobacco smoke. Even though the vapour does contain some chemicals, like nicotine, and some toxins, these are at extremely low levels.  

The impacts of second-hand vaping may depend on things like the type of vape, how long you’re exposed for, and if the vapour is inside or outside.