E-cigarette and hookah waterpipe users may be at greater risk than tobacco cigarette smokers for cancers of the nose, sinuses and throat, according to a new study.
That's because vapers and hookah users are more than twice as likely to exhale smoke through their nose as cigarette smokers, who typically exhale smoke through the mouth, the researchers explain.
"Our findings suggest that the unique way vapers and hookah smokers use their devices may expose the nose and sinuses to far more emissions than cigarettes," says study lead author Emma Karey, a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
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These may in turn increase their risk for upper respiratory diseases, Karey explained in a medical center news release.
Expert Q&A: The Real Smoke Behind Vaping and Hookah
What the study shows
The researchers observed 123 vapers and 122 cigarettes smokers on the streets of New York City. They also monitored 96 people smoking inside two hookah bars.
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They found that 63% of vapers and 50% of hookah smokers exhaled through their nose, compared with 22% of cigarette smokers.
More than 1 in 20 American adults are vapers. Past research has shown that both e-cigarettes and hookahs expose users' respiratory systems to higher levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals than traditional cigarettes and cigars.
However, the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes and hookahs remain poorly understood.
"Because vaping and hookah devices are used differently than traditional cigarettes, we need to consider diseases of both the nose and lungs to evaluate their safety before judging whether one is more risky than another," says study co-author Terry Gordon, a professor of environmental medicine at NYU Langone.
In a related study, the same research team found increased damage in the nasal passages of vapers and hookah users. Levels of inflammatory compounds released by defense cells in the nose were up to 10 times higher for vapers and hookah users compared to cigarette smokers.
Further research is needed to confirm whether this nasal damage in vapers and hookah users is actually due to how they expel smoke and not from unrelated issues, Gordon notes.
Hookah & Vaping: The Next Deadly Threat To Your Health
4 tips to quit vaping and hookahs
The best way to protect yourself from cancer is to stop the use of vaping and hookahs. However, we realize that quitting isn't always easy. If you are looking to quit, try these tips to get you started provided by Quit Assist:
1. Get Ready
- Choose a specific quit date
- Think about all the ways quitting will improve your life and health
- Get rid of temptations
- Think about what you learned from past attempts to quit
2. Get Support and Encouragement
- Talk to friends, family, and coworkers about why you want to quit and how important it is to you
- Ask them to keep vapes, hookahs, etc. out of sight
- Get expert help. Ask a doctor, psychologist, or another health professional for advice or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free telephone counseling and quitting information
3. Learn New Skills and Behaviors
- Plan ways to distract yourself from urges
- Have other things nearby to hold in your hands or put in your mouth
- Look for fun activities that don’t include vaping or hookahs
- Prepare to manage withdrawal symptoms
4. Be Prepared for Relapse or Difficult Situations
- Find new ways to handle stress or calm your nerves
- If you do slip, don't beat yourself up, and don't give up – learn from it
- Limit or monitor your use of triggers like coffee and alcohol
- Eat healthy foods and get some exercise to help manage your weight and mood
- Remind yourself of the benefits of quitting
