Vapers Cough – What Is It and How Do You Avoid It?

Once you stopped smoking, you thought coughs would be a thing of the past. Think again.

Coughing fits can occur at the most inconvenient of times. You may be in a quiet lecture, a cinema or a theatre performance. When it does happen though, there’s no way to stop the tide but to let it all out. Whilst smoking is known for being one of the worst pollutants for your lungs, vaping has been found to be 98 percent less dangerous for the body. You’d expect then that those tarry coughs and lung disease creeping splutters would stop once you begin vaping. However, both first time and regular vapers will sometimes see symptoms of vapers cough. Below are some of the ways you can define vapers cough as well as some of the best ways to combat it.

What is vapers cough?

Vapers cough is quite simple, really and does what the name suggests. With so many new vapers joining the industry every year, it’s surprising to think that so many people don’t expect to cough on their first vape. In a study of 600 newbie vapers, it turned out that 57 percent coughed on their first inhale. When it comes down to it then, you shouldn’t feel any more embarrassed than more than half the vaping population.

What causes vapers cough

Medically speaking, vapers cough might be a good sign! With your body recognising inhaled vapour as a foreign body, it can be quite easy to forget that the bodies main reaction to get rid of germs is to cough. Whilst vapour isn’t a germ, your body will treat it as so until it has got used to it. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons why you might cough whilst vaping, but when it comes down to the crux of it, it’s down to your bodies natural reactions.

High PG and nicotine levels

As one of the two compounds onto which vape e juice is mixed, propylene glycol carries the nicotine and the taste. It is also the reason why some vape juices have a bigger throat hit than others, one of the triggers for coughing whilst vaping. The other trigger can be the nicotine carried by the PG. Generally, PG heavy vape juices carry higher nicotine levels, at a maximum of 20 mg per 10 ml. The higher the nicotine level, the more intense the throat hit, leading to – you guessed it – more coughing for the uninitiated.

Direct to Lung Vaping

Direct to lung vaping leads to more of a chance of coughing. This is because this style of vaping, unlike smoking, takes the vapour straight into the lungs, much like the sensation when you suck the air out of a balloon.

Ex-smokers coughing up tar

If you have recently moved from smoking to vaping, then your body will begin expelling the toxic chemicals it has ingested during your smoking days. This includes the tar which will have built up in your body, and when you begin vaping, your body will cough it up. Welcome this, it may be unpleasant at first, but you will reap the rewards with clearer lungs and better breathing within a few weeks.

Dry throat and dehydration

Vaping, especially propylene glycol and nicotine natural absorbs moisture from your mouth when you vape. This is the same with the back of your throat and can lead to a sore throat and a dry cough for vaping beginners. Make sure you drink plenty of water whilst vaping, and you shouldn’t have to deal with sore throats and hacking coughs.

How to stop

So, what can you do to halt those coughs? Is it a case of just riding it out until your body stops reacting in that way, or can you lessen the chances of vapers cough? Whilst you can’t stop your bodies natural reactions, you can lessen the risk.

Try MTL

Instead of direct to lung vaping, why not try mouth to lung? This is the same style as smoking tobacco cigarettes, where taste trumps vape clouds. Simply take the vapour into your mouth before your lungs to make mild the vape inhale.

Try a higher VG juice

Experimenting with your vape mix will mean you can find the perfect concoction to suit your needs. With higher VG juices, you’ll find less nicotine and a cooler throat hit. This means that you’re less likely to suffer the sharpness of high PG intensity.

Open up your airflow

Opening the airflow of your drip tip will ensure cooler draws. You will also find that you are not having to inhale so forcefully, letting the vape hit come as naturally as breathing. Be careful, more open airflows will mean you are inhaling more vapour when puffing, so use the airflow cautiously.