Forget the age-old smoker’s cough, now doctors are treating patients with ‘vaper’s cough’ (and it can sound very different!)
Vapers are hit with a nasty cough – and doctors say it sounds different from a smoker’s.
A London-based GP said he has treated e-cigarette addicts who have developed a ‘dry’ or ‘squeaky’ rasp. She believes the cheap gadgets, which are filled with a liquid containing nicotine and other chemicals, are to blame.
A smoker’s cough, on the other hand, is more ‘slimy’ than dry.
E-cigarette advice pages warn about this ‘common phenomenon’, saying it is especially problematic for new vapers who have just switched from cigarettes.
Experts think this could be a sign that the body is recovering from years of tobacco abuse.
It is said that quitting smoking and choosing vaping instead exposes you to fewer cancer-causing toxins, reducing your risk of lung disease, heart disease and stroke
Tobacco destroys small hair-like structures in the airways called cilia, which are designed to keep dirt and mucus out of the lungs.
When these are killed, irritants can settle in the lungs and mucus builds up. This causes ‘smoker’s cough’, where the body tries to clear the airways.
Once a person stops smoking, the cilia grow back and help remove mucus. This can also result in a cough that can last for months.
Professor Lion Shahab, co-director of the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at University College London, told MailOnline: ‘Developing a cough is a normal response to quitting smoking as the cilia in the lungs repair and become functional again.
“So if a smoker switches to vaping, something similar could be happening.”
Prominent e-cigarette researcher Professor Peter Hajek, from Queen Mary University London, said the tickly ‘vaper’s cough’ usually goes away after a few weeks of use.
One trial, published in the respected New England Journal of Medicine in 2019, even found Cigarette addicts who were given vapes as a means to quit smoking coughed less a year later, compared to participants who were given nicotine replacement gum, patches or sprays.
Dr. Hana Patel, a GP in London, said there is ‘no clear evidence’ that coughs are directly caused by vaping, as the gadgets – which sell for as little as £5 – have not been around long enough to confirm the link .
She told MailOnline: ‘They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headaches, coughing and nausea.
‘These tend to decrease over time with continued use.
‘We don’t yet know what effects they may have in the long term.’
Dr. Patel emphasized that vapes should only be used to help you quit smoking, or to prevent you from smoking again.
Dr. Nirusa Kumaran, another NHS GP based in London, added: ‘Vaping can be a useful tool when quitting smoking.
“But it’s not something I recommend starting without a history of smoking.” Without knowing the purity of the vapor, you could be introducing harmful toxins into your airways.”
GPs say some people come in with a ‘dry’ or ‘wheezing’ cough after vaping. The vapes are sold in all kinds of flavors and colors and because they contain nicotine they are addictive
Since February, a total of 1,009 reactions to vaping have been recorded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Here are the 10 most common reports
E-cigarettes allow people to inhale nicotine in a vapor, which is produced by heating a liquid, which typically contains propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings and other chemicals.
Unlike traditional cigarettes, vapes do not contain tobacco or produce tar or carbon – two of the most dangerous elements.
NHS chiefs insist vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking.
But evidence is quickly mounting to show that the gadgets pose their own dangers, with multiple studies raising alarms about the potential risks of vaping. An academic paper last month even sparked fears that e-cigarettes could lead to cancer.
Doctors have expressed fears that a wave of lung disease, dental problems and even cancer could occur in the coming decades in people who started the habit at a young age.
Last year, MailOnline revealed that e-cigarettes have been linked to five deaths in Britain, although none have been proven.
The data was obtained through the UK watchdog Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme, which allows members of the public and doctors to report suspected side effects.
Under the same database, it can be revealed that more than 100 cough complaints have also been registered.
Dozens of children have been hospitalized because of the gadgets, some as young as four years old.
Health organizations described the findings as ‘very worrying’ as they urged non-smokers not to take up vaping and called on ministers to crack down on unscrupulous sellers.
Ministers have said they will soon ban e-cigarette packaging and flavors that appeal to children, to prevent them developing a habit.
Rishi Sunak has previously said it is ‘ridiculous’ that vaping is being promoted to children and he does not want his young daughters to be ‘tempted by these things’.