Why Do I Get a Sore Throat From Vaping?

Introduction

E-cigarettes are a new way of inhaling nicotine. When you take a drag from an e-cigarette, you inhale vapour, which has far less damaging effects on your lungs than traditional cigarette smoke. Although vaping is far less toxic than smoking, some vapers will experience a sore throat. This is normal, and can be avoided if you follow a few simple steps.

In this article, we’ll discuss why vaping can give you a sore throat, and what you can do to prevent it.

Why Does Vaping Cause a Sore Throat?

There are several reasons why you might experience a sore throat after or during vaping:

Nicotine

Nicotine is responsible for part of the ‘throat hit’ you experience whilst smoking or vaping. Vaping with a high nicotine level will cause a sore throat. You might need to reduce the nicotine level in your e-juice.

Quitting Smoking

If you are vaping to help you quit smoking, your lungs will be clearing after a long period of inhaling smoke. As you cough and clear your lungs of mucus and debris, you may experience a sore throat. Although this has nothing to do with vaping, it might be the cause of a sore throat you thought was due to vaping.

Another reason is that you may be taking large drags directly to the lungs from your vape, like you might smoke a cigarette. If you take vapor into your mouth first before you inhale, this can help prevent a sore throat.

Propylene Gly

There are two e-juice bases: propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycol (VG). PG makes a stronger throat hit than VG, which can cause a sore throat. If you increase the VG content of your e-juice to at least 70%, you will have a smoother vaping experience.

Staying Hydrated and Take Breaks

PG and VG are hygroscopic – this means they can wick moisture from the air. This also means they have the potential to dry out your throat as you vape. The best way to avoid this is to up your water intake before, during and after you vape. This way, you won’t dry out and should be able to avoid a sore throat.

Frequent vaping will dry you out. If drinking water is not enough, you might need to consider longer breaks between vaping.

Vaping Style

How you vape will affect your throat. Both power settings and inhalation technique can cause a sore throat. If you vape on a high power setting, the vapor is hot and will irritate your throat. Try lowering the power a bit. If you are taking large drags directly to your lungs, this can also irritate your lungs. Try taking smaller drags.

Staying hydrated is key to avoiding a sore throat when you vape