Does the use of e-cigarettes increase the risk of pneumonia?

How do e-cigarettes affect susceptibility to pneumococcal bacteria??

Many people try to quit smoking by, for example, using nicotine patches or switching to e-cigarettes. Of course, e-cigarettes are not really healthy for the body either. Researchers now found that e-cigarette vaporizing could increase the risk of developing pneumonia.

The researchers from the Queen Mary University of London found in their study that e-cigarettes can cause an increased risk of pneumonia. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "European Respiratory Journal".

The risk of pneumonia is increased

There are already several studies comparing the advantages and disadvantages of e-cigarettes with the smoking of regular cigarettes. The current study did not make a direct comparison between the effects of e-cigarettes and tobacco smoking of normal cigarettes. In the current study, scientists focused solely on the effects of e-cigarettes and found that users of electronic cigarettes are at a higher risk for pneumonia compared to people who do not use e-cigarettes.

Increased susceptibility to pneumococcal bacteria has been noted

Evaporation seems to increase susceptibility to pneumococcal bacteria, says study author Professor Jonathan Grigg of the Blizard Institute of Queen Mary University of London. These bacteria can cause serious infections, among other things, they can also trigger pneumonia.

Study included three different investigations

The scientists performed three different types of experiments in their research work. In one experiment, mice inhaled the vapor and were then exposed to pneumococcal bacteria. In addition, the nasal mucosa was examined by eleven users of e-cigarettes. The results were then compared to those of subjects who did not use e-cigarettes. In a third experiment, human nasal cells were exposed to e-cigarette vapor in the laboratory.

The vapor of e-cigarettes increased the amount of harmful bacteria

The research team noted a sharp increase in the amount of bacteria attached to the airway cells after exposure to e-cigarette vapor. Previous studies have found that such adhesion increases the susceptibility to disease. "Some people may evaporate because they assume that e-cigarettes are completely safe or to quit smoking. However, the results of the study show that inhaling vapor from e-cigarettes can also be detrimental to health, "said Professor Grigg in a press release from Queen Mary University of London.

Nicotine gum and patches do not endanger the respiratory system

Many people use e-cigarettes to quit smoking. Unlike e-cigarettes, other cigarettes weaning aids, such as nicotine patches or nicotine gum, do not result in increased levels of potential pathogens in the airways, say the physicians.

Are e-cigarettes a safe alternative to smoking?

Scientists said last October that a major shift from tobacco to e-cigarettes could prevent millions of premature deaths by the year 2100, even if the devices are not safe for health. The vapor of e-cigarettes contained no tar and less toxins than the smoke of ordinary cigarettes, the reasoning.

E-cigarettes are often rated as a safe alternative to smoking, but the question remains whether e-cigarettes seduce you into smoking or help you to quit. Especially younger people could get into a lifelong dependence on nicotine by the allegedly harmless e-cigarettes. (As)