Vaping and Inflammatory Lung Disease - Conclusion
Vaping and cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a severe inflammatory disease that affects the body’s mucus glands. It often causes mucus buildup in the lungs, leading to chronic difficulty breathing, and is frequently fatal.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease, so vaping will not cause you to develop it. However, smoking if you have cystic fibrosis can impair your ability to breathe properly. This includes smoking e-cigarettes. Research has shown that vaping can affect the mucus in your lungs, which can worsen symptoms of cystic fibrosis.
Does vaping cause inflammatory lung disease?
Research has shown that smoking traditional cigarettes contributes to and worsens inflammatory lung diseases, and many doctors believe that the same is true for vaping.
Research teams have shown that vaping increases inflammation and infection in the lungs. Other studies have found that smoking e-cigarettes is linked to physical changes in the lungs, such as increases in mucus or certain proteins, that contribute to inflammatory lung disease.
Studies on vaping, however, are limited by the differences between brands and devices. It is also common for smokers to use both conventional and electronic cigarettes, making it difficult for researchers to determine whether the two types of smoking cause different health outcomes.
Though there are many indications that vaping may contribute to inflammatory lung diseases, research into its long-term effects is still ongoing. Given the currently identified risks, however, health officials warn against the use of electronic cigarettes, especially among those who already have or are at risk for inflammatory lung diseases.
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Updated:  
April 01, 2020
Reviewed By:  
Christopher Nystuen, MD, MBA