Vaping FAQs

does vaping marijuana cause lung disease

by Katharina Glover Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Reports in a small study published in 2016 indicate that vaping products containing nicotine cause lung tissue damage and inflammation. These effects are linked with the development of COPD.

Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke cigarettes or marijuana, or vape nicotine, a new University of Michigan study suggests.Mar 24, 2021

Full Answer

What are the negative health effects of vaping?

The short-term side effects of using nicotine vapes are usually:

  • Lingering aftertaste
  • Light-headedness
  • Sweating
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • High blood pressure
  • Increased heart rate

Is vaping worse than smoking weed?

Teens who inhale cannabis via vape pens are more likely to develop breathing problems than those who vape tobacco products or even those who smoke either cigarettes or marijuana joints, according to research appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health this spring led by University of Michigan nursing professor Carol Boyd.

What are the health risks of vaping marijuana?

  • Shortness of breath
  • Weight loss
  • Night sweats
  • Fatigue
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Low oxygen levels
  • Lung failure and death (in severe cases)

Does vaping decrease your lung capacity?

These findings are fantastic news for vapers who may still be concerned with the effect of vaping on lung function. The reasoning given by the researchers was that because vaping does not burn anything, the tar associated with most negative effects on lung function is virtually non-existent for vapers.

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Why are cigarettes dangerous?

The reason cigarettes are dangerous isn’t because of the nicotine. The tar and other chemicals that cause emphysema or cancer make it so dangerous. Burning or inhaling is a bad idea. That’s why we will probably discover that marijuana is bad for your lungs, too.”.

Why are e-cigarettes bad for youth?

These are similar in nature to vaporizers used for marijuana, and can greatly impact youth because of the potential cancer-causing substances they release.

How many states allow medical marijuana?

The research on medical marijuana looks promising. However, we still don’t know whether it’s an effective treatment. Beyond that, only 31 states , as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia allow the use of marijuana for medical use.

What is the active ingredient in marijuana?

Two drugs that are a synthetic laboratory version with chemical structure of or similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another active ingredient in marijuana, are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Can smoking marijuana cause damage?

Smoking marijuana can cause damage with rupture to the walls of adjacent alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs) into larger, ineffective air sacs called bullae. The risk is higher in male smokers under the age of 45.

Does smoking marijuana cause bronchitis?

This is associated with an increased likelihood of developing chronic bronchitis. The inhalation patterns when smoking marijuana are different than when smoking cigarettes.

Is marijuana good for you?

Health benefits of marijuana. Marijuana may provide calming effects that improve certain mental and physical conditions. For instance, a doctor might recommend medical marijuana to people with Crohn’s disease as an alternative way to ease inflammation, nausea, and vomiting .

Is asthma associated with lung injury?

The researchers also found that an asthma diagnosis was most strongly associated with symptoms of future lung injury than cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cannabis use and vaping cannabis.

Does smoking marijuana cause lung damage?

Vaping marijuana associated with more symptoms of lung damage than vaping or smoking nicotine. Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke cigarettes or marijuana, or vape nicotine, a new University of Michigan study suggests. The result challenges conventional wisdom ...

Is vaping bad for you?

Boyd, who also co-directs U-M’s Center for Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, stressed that the findings do not mean that vaping nicotine or smoking cigarettes or marijuana are not bad for you. These products also produce symptoms of lung injury, but not to the same degree as vaping marijuana, she said. “In short, it is all bad but ...

Is vaping a smoking habit for teens?

Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke cigarettes or marijuana, or vape nicotine, a new University of Michigan study suggests.

Does vaping cause coughing?

Adolescents who reported vaping marijuana were roughly twice as likely to report “wheezing and whistling” in the chest than those who did not. Current use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and cannabis were associated with some respiratory symptoms, such as dry cough, but most associations were not significant after controlling for vaping cannabis.

Why is the American Lung Association concerned about the health impacts of marijuana use?

We caution the public against smoking marijuana because of the risks it poses to the lungs.

What is the most common way to smoke marijuana?

Marijuana is most commonly smoked using pipes, bongs, paper-wrapped joints, blunts and other devices including those that heat or vaporize marijuana. Marijuana can also be consumed through dozens of different products including e-cigarettes, candy, brownies and other baked goods, capsules, beverages and many more.

Is second hand smoke bad for you?

Secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxins and carcinogens found in directly-inhaled marijuana smoke, in similar amounts if not more. 5 While there is no data on the health consequences of breathing secondhand marijuana smoke, there is concern that it could cause harmful health effects, especially among vulnerable children in the home. Additional research on the health effects of secondhand marijuana smoke is needed.

Does smoking marijuana cause respiratory problems?

Smoking marijuana hurts the lungs' first line of defense against infection by killing cells that help remove dust and germs as well as causing more mucus to be formed. In addition, it also suppresses the immune system. These effects could lead to an increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections among marijuana smokers, although there is no clear evidence of such actual infections being more common among marijuana smokers. 4,9 However, frequent marijuana-only smokers have more healthcare visits for respiratory conditions compared to nonsmokers. 10

Can you inhale marijuana concentrate?

There is little known on the potential lung health effects of inhaling marijuana or products made from it through routes other than smoking. However: Use of "vape-pens" to inhale cannabis concentrates or liquids may have similar respiratory health effects as e-cigarette use. "Dabbing" (inhaling flash-vaporized cannabis concentrates) ...

Is marijuana safe for medical use?

The American Lung Association encourages continued research into the health effects of marijuana use, as the benefits, risks and safety of marijuana use for medical purposes require further study. Patients considering using marijuana for medicinal purposes should make this decision in consultation with their doctor, and consider means of administration other than smoking.

Does smoking marijuana harm your lung?

Smoking marijuana clearly damages the human lung, and regular use leads to chronic bronchitis and can cause an immune-compromised person to be more susceptible to lung infections. No one should be exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke.

What are the symptoms of smoking marijuana?

Symptoms were: wheezing and whistling in the chest; sleep disturbed or speech limited due to wheezing; sounded wheezy during or after exercise; and dry cough at night not associated with chest illness or infection. Paper cited: "Cannabis, Vaping, and Respiratory Symptoms in a Probability Sample of U.S. Youth," Journal of Adolescent Health.

Who is the principal investigator of vaping nicotine?

The result challenges conventional wisdom about vaping nicotine, says the study's principal investigator, Carol Boyd, Ph.D., the Deborah J. Oakley Collegiate Professor Emerita at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. "I thought that e-cigarettes (vaping nicotine) would be the nicotine product most strongly associated with worrisome ...

Is vaping a smoking habit for teens?

Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke cigarettes or marijuana, or vape nicotine, a new University of Michigan study suggests.

Does vaping cause lung damage?

Vaping Marijuana Associated with More Symptoms of Lung Damage than Vaping or Smoking Nicotine. Research says vaping cannabis may cause worse respiratory issues than e-cigarettes or smoking cigarettes or marijuana alone. Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke ...

Is vaping bad for you?

Boyd, who also co-directs U-M's Center for Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, stressed that the findings do not mean that vaping nicotine or smoking cigarettes or marijuana are not bad for you. These products also produce symptoms of lung injury, but not to the same degree as vaping marijuana, she explains. "In short, it is all bad, but ...

What is the chemical that can damage your lungs?

Acrolein: Most often used as a weed killer, this chemical can also damage lungs.

What is a vape pen?

With vaping, a device (typically a vape pen or a mod — an enhanced vape pen — that may look like a flash drive) heats up a liquid ( called vape juice or e -liquid) until it turns into a vapor that you inhale. “Vaping is a delivery system similar to a nebulizer, which people with asthma or other lung conditions may be familiar with,” says Broderick. ...

What to do if your lung hurts?

What to Do If Your Lungs Hurt. If you smoke or vape, don’t brush off chest or lung pain as something that’s normal. If you have pain or other symptoms associated with breathing difficulties, such as shortness of breath and chronic cough, it’s important to see a doctor.

Does vaping affect the lungs?

Instead of bathing lung tissue with a therapeutic mist, just as a nebulizer does, vaping coats lungs with potentially harmful chemicals. E-liquid concoctions usually include some mix of flavorings, aromatic additives and nicotine or THC (the chemical in marijuana that causes psychological effects), dissolved in an oily liquid base.

Is second hand vapor safe?

Secondhand Vapor Isn’t Safe Either. It’s a myth that secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes are harmless. Many people think the secondhand vapor is just water, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The vapor emitted when someone exhales contains a variety of dangerous substances, which may include: Nicotine.

Does diacetyl help with popcorn lung?

Diacetyl is frequently added to flavored e-liquid to enhance the taste. Inhaling diacetyl causes inflammation and may lead to permanent scarring in the smallest branches of the airways — popcorn lung — which makes breathing difficult. Popcorn lung has no lasting treatment. There are, however, treatments that manage BO symptoms, such as:

What to do if you have a marijuana lung disease?

If you are diagnosed with marijuana-induced lung disease, you may need to begin medical or surgical treatment.

Does smoking marijuana cause shortness of breath?

Progressive Lung Disease. As a consequence of chronically smoking marijuana, you may experience changes in your lungs that lead to symptoms such as wheezing, a cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath. These symptoms are generally worse with physical exertion, an effect that is often described as exercise intolerance.

Does smoking marijuana make you more susceptible to COPD?

COPD itself makes you more prone to recurrent lung infections, so smoking marijuana when you have this lung disease only makes you more vulnerable.

Is medical marijuana harmful to the lungs?

At the current time, the use of medicinal marijuana is not thought to be harmful to the lungs. In general, medical marijuana is used in low doses. 7  In addition, many medical marijuana patients chose to ingest THC and CBD through tinctures or edibles, rather than smoke. Uses of Medical Marijuana.

Does smoking marijuana make you sick?

These symptoms are generally worse with physical exertion, an effect that is often described as exercise intolerance. Over time, the effects of smoking marijuana can become persistent and severe. Chronically smoking marijuana is associated with several types of lung disease, 2 including: Emphysema: In addition to emphysema (damage ...

Can marijuana cause lung damage?

It can be difficult to know whether pulmonary symptoms are associated with marijuana use and/or whether you have experienced long-term damage to your lungs from some other cause. If you are experiencing symptoms of lung disease, your medical team may order diagnostic tests to help identify the problem.

Does smoking marijuana affect your respiratory system?

Respiratory Effects of Smoking Marijuana. The impact of smoking marijuana is similar to the impact of smoking cigarettes on your lungs. You are likely to experience more severe effects if you smoke both marijuana and cigarettes. 2 .

What does "evali" mean in medical terms?

Thursday, the CDC updated its count of confirmed and probable cases of what it now calls EVALI, short for "e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury."

What is organizing pneumonia?

A microscopic view of the tissue revealed two different patterns of lung injury. One is called organizing pneumonia, which is when tiny airways and air sacs become inflamed.

How many lung diseases are linked to e-cigarettes?

The number of life-threatening lung illnesses linked to e-cigarettes has risen to 1,604 nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Is EVALI a counterfeit vape?

Elise Wrabetz / NBC News. The CDC previously reported that other patients diagnosed with EVALI also said they'd used "Dank Vapes," which are counterfeit. Early on in the investigation, some doctors had diagnosed patients with a different form of pneumonia, called lipoid pneumonia.

Which state has the most vaping deaths?

Alaska remains the only state without any reported cases. Two more vaping-related deaths were confirmed Thursday, one in Tennessee and another in Washington, DC. That brings the total number of deaths so far to 36. Other deaths are under investigation.

Does vape have vitamin E?

The diagnosis made sense given that many vape devices tested contained high levels of vitamin E oil. However, that ingredient has not been detected in all of the devices, and public health officials have said that while vitamin E oil may be one clue, it does not explain all the cases.

Did the study look at what products or ingredients caused the damage?

The study didn't look at which products or ingredients may have caused the damage, though one patient told his doctors that he'd switched to a product labeled "Dank Vapes" a few weeks before he was hospitalized.

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