Are COPD and vaping connected?
Hi all. This is my first post. I was diagnosed with COPD 2 weeks ago and I was wondering if there is any data/record that would connect vaping to COPD. I am quitting vaping as soon the results of my PFTs come back, which will be in 2 days.
My GP isn't convinced that it *is* COPD because he didn't hear any wheezing. I would highly appreciate any feedback regarding any of what I just typed. I'd also like to know if COPD gets worse over time, assuming that I totally quit vaping. 😁
Hi PlainDave, thank you for reaching out! I hear how concerned you are with your recent diagnosis and pulmonary testing. There is not a lot of hard data on vaping and COPD at this point in time as vaping is a relatively new public health concern. However, as COPD is caused from the lungs being exposed to various airborne irritants and the leading cause is smoking, it is reasonable to expect that in the coming years vaping may also become an acknowledged risk factor for COPD, given that it similarly involves inhaling an irritant into the lungs. There are a few articles and resources you may want to peruse for more information about what is concretely known about vaping at this point in time:
https://copd.net/clinical/what-are-e-cigarettes/
https://copd.net/living/vaping/
https://www.copdfoundation.org/Take-Action/COPD-Policy-Issues/Vaping-and-COPD.aspx
While COPD is a progressive disease, there are steps you can take to help slow the progression, the biggest one being to stop smoking/vaping. These articles might also be of interest to you:
https://copd.net/basics/
https://copd.net/living/favorite-strategies-managing/
https://copd.net/living/tips-managing/
https://copd.net/living/progress-can-be-slowed/
I hope these resources are helpful for you! Please keep us posted about what you learn from your PFT results and how you are managing. Wishing you a gentle day. ~Allyson (COPD.net team)Thanks Allyson for the reply and info. I took my PFTs this morning and the pulmonologist (or tech) convinced me to quit vaping. However, the juice that I vape has a fairly high nicotine percentage, so I'm having a hard time stopping cold turkey. I know it's just a matter of time before I do quit, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I'll check out the links that you gave. I'll probably post on here the PFT results once I get them. Take care and thanks again.
