While vapes may not contain some of the harmful chemicals that traditional cigarettes do, they can still have an impact on the body.
An expert warned of a little-known side effect of vaping that could affect the tongue. He advised cutting back on the habit, which is also set to become subject to a new Government ban in months.
Since their invention, vapes – or e-cigarettes – have become increasingly popular in the UK. Initially billed as a way to quit smoking traditional cigarettes they have become another habit altogether, particularly popular among young people.
While they don’t contain the tar and other damaging chemicals found in cigarettes, they typically still carry nicotine and are thought to cause health issues of their own. In a bid to cut back on the number of youngsters vaping, as well as the amount of waste they create, the Government is set to ban single-use vapes from June 1 this year.
In 2022, it was found that more than 40 tonnes of lithium from single-use vapes was discarded in the UK, with almost five million single-use vapes either littered or thrown away in general waste every week. However, rechargeable and refillable vapes will still be legal.
Cancer Research UK has warned of some of the health risks of vaping including side effects like throat and mouth irritation, as well as bringing on headaches, coughs and nausea. A specific condition called EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) can also occur as a result of vaping and leads to shortness of breath, coughs, and rapid heartbeat among other symptoms.
But a dentist revealed another alarming phenomenon linked to vaping known as “vape tongue”. Dr Stewart Beggs, a cosmetic and restorative dentist based in London, posted a video to social media platform TikTok titled: “Do you vape? You might have vaper’s tongue.”
As reported by ChronicleLive he said: “So vape tongue is when you start to lose your taste because you’ve been vaping so much, and this is really on the rise because of the popularity of these disposable vapes – which have all these ridiculous flavours. People end up absolutely caning these vapes and it causes such a massive increase in nicotine and a really, really dry mouth that you lose your sense of taste completely sometimes.”
On vape tongue, experts at Healthline, noted: “While there isn’t much published scientific information about the condition, there appears to be plenty of anecdotal evidence supporting it, as dentists and other healthcare practitioners have taken to social media to warn about it.
“They are urging e-cigarette users to stop or drastically cut down their usage if they have experienced this side effect.” However, Dr Beggs reassured followers that your taste should start to come back after you cut down on your vape usage.
He added: “Don’t worry, it does come back when you start to cut down on the vaping but it’s really, really, really not good for your health. If you’ve got vaper’s tongue, how to get rid of it: first thing, stop vaping or really cut down your vaping because that’s going to really help.
“Second thing is it can be linked to dehydration, so start to drink some more water and make sure you’re fully hydrated. Clean your tongue, brush your teeth, floss, use a tongue scraper – see if that helps as well.
“If this helps, cut down how much you’re vaping because you don’t want to get vaper’s tongue back – because you want to taste your food.” Viewers took to Dr Beggs’ comment section, with one saying, “That’s scary”.
In reference to the ban on single use vapes, minister for public health and prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said: “It’s deeply worrying that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds used a vape last year and we know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today.
“Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”
If you experience any unusual side effects from vaping or any symptoms of EVALI you should speak to your GP.
