This article was co-authored by Ni-Cheng Liang, MD
and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure
. Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang is a board certified Pulmonologist and the Director of Pulmonary Integrative Medicine at Coastal Pulmonary Associates affiliated with the Scripps Health Network in San Diego, California. She also serves as a Voluntary Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine while volunteering for the UCSD Medical Student-Run Free Clinic for uninsured patients. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Liang specializes in pulmonary and respiratory medical concerns, mindfulness teaching, physician wellness, and integrative medicine. Dr. Liang received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Liang was voted as a San Diego Top Doctor in 2017 and 2019. She was also awarded the 2019 American Lung Association San Diego Lung Health Provider of the Year.
There are 26 references
cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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The moment you quit smoking, your body begins to repair itself. The longer you continue to hold off on cigarettes, the healthier and healthier you get. But what if you start vaping in the meantime? While vaping is proven to be safer and better for your health than traditional tobacco cigarettes, vaping can still negatively affect your health. [1] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source In this article, we’ll break down what your body will go through when you quit smoking and when you start vaping. We’ll also cover what the science says about vaping to quit tobacco so that you can make the healthiest choice for you.
Steps
What Happens When You Quit Smoking
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1First 20 minutes Your heart rate and blood pressure will drop back down to a steady level as the nicotine finally wears off. You’ll start feeling “normal” again and any nicotine buzz will completely dissipate. [2] X Research source
- As a note, the longer you’ve smoked, the faster the nicotine buzz will go away.
- Just to clarify, while some of these benefits will also apply when you switch from cigarettes to a vape, you may still experience adverse health effects from vaping. The only way to get all of these benefits is to quit consuming nicotine entirely.
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2First 2-3 hours Your circulation will improve. Your heart rate will reach its standard equilibrium. If you’ve been a regular smoker, you’ll start to experience withdrawals around this time. At this point, the risk of a heart attack begins to lower dramatically. [3] X Trustworthy Source American Lung Association Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research Go to source
- If you’re actively quitting, remember that the urges only last 10-15 minutes and so long as you can get past the first few, they’ll get easier every time. [4] X Research source
- Vaping will still increase your heart rate and interfere with your circulation.
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3First day Carbon monoxide, the poisonous gas in cigarette smoke that makes people sick, has now entirely left your body. Your heart can begin to repair itself as the lack of poisonous chemicals in your blood can’t interfere. [5] X Research source Any inflammation in your lungs will also start to go down.
- While e-juice doesn’t contain carbon monoxide, there are other chemicals in it that are unhealthy. [6] X Trustworthy Source American Lung Association Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research Go to source
- Good news if you quit entirely! Oxygen will start reaching your heart and muscles more easily. If you’ve been experiencing headaches as a consequence of quitting cigarettes, that’ll start to go away soon. [7] X Research source
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42-3 Days Your sense of taste and smell is coming back. Food is probably tasting more vibrant and flavorful, and you’re picking up on all kinds of aromas you haven’t experienced in a long time. You are likely going to experience the strongest cravings of the quitting process here as the nicotine is 100% gone from your blood. [8] X Research source
- If you can make it through these cravings, you’ll have faced the worst of it. Just keep that in mind as you’re going through these first few days.
- While vape juices may taste or smell better than traditional tobacco, they may still interfere with your taste buds.
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5First month Your lung functioning is starting to improve. You may notice your inhales and exhales are more voluminous and stronger than they used to be. Any shortness of breath or coughing you used to experience should start clearing up now. [9] X Research source
- Your lungs are lined with cilia, which are microscopic hairs. All of your cilia are finally moving freely without any tar or fumes interfering with them.
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63-9 months Your physical stamina is improving as your lungs heal from the damage caused by smoking. At the 9-month mark, you should be breathing basically identically to a non-smoker. You should be completely done with any coughing, wheezing, or hacking you used to experience as a smoker. [10] X Research source
- While vaping is probably better for your stamina than smoking cigarettes, vaping will also deplete the oxygen in your blood and make it harder to compete if you’re an athlete. [11] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
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7First year Congratulations! This is a huge milestone, and it means you’ve now got a less than 50% chance of ever going back to cigarettes. [12] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Your risk of coronary heart disease is also about 50% lower than it would if you’d never stopped smoking. Any signs that you ever smoked should be completely gone. [13] X Trustworthy Source American Lung Association Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research Go to source
- This is around the time that most former smokers feel like they no longer have any cravings or urges at all—even in passing when they’re around other people who smoke.
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810 years from now Your risk of getting lung cancer, bladder cancer, or cervical cancer are now halved. In 5 more years, your risk of coronary heart disease will be identical to a nonsmoker’s! [14] X Trustworthy Source American Lung Association Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research Go to source
Health Effects of Vaping
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1Potential for increased addiction Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical, and many vape users end up more addicted to nicotine than they were back when they smoked cigarettes. This isn’t to say that vaping isn’t better, but if you’re looking to minimize your dependency on foreign chemicals, vaping isn’t a great way to go about it. [15] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
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2Decreased attention and impulse control Some studies show that vaping can interfere with your ability to pay attention. There also appears to be some impact to mood and impulse control among younger people, likely because vaping can interfere with the way your brain’s synapses maintain connections. [16] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
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3Risk of lung disease and damage Your lungs are not designed to absorb anything other than the natural air. But vapor from an e-cig isn’t just unnatural—it’s bad for you. E-juice contains volatile organic compounds, chemicals that cause lung damage, and all kinds of nasty particles that aren’t supposed to be in your body. [17] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source
- Some e-juices even contain heavy metals like nickel, tin, and lead.
Physical Symptoms of Vaping
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1Headaches Since a cigarette eventually burns out and a vape doesn’t, you may have more headaches than you used to. This is from excessive nicotine consumption and the new chemicals you’re introducing to your body with the e-juice. It was probably very easy to regulate your nicotine consumption with cigarettes (i.e. you would smoke 5 cigarettes every day). With the vape, you may get headaches as your nicotine levels swing wildly. [18] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Vapes don’t “burn to the filter” the same way cigarettes do. As a result, a lot of vape users seem to overdo it on accident.
- Once the headaches start going away, it’s a sign your body is getting used to the nicotine in the vape.
- Other signs you’re using the e-cig too much include shortness of breath, confusion, cramps, weakness, heart palpitations, and drooling. [19] X Research source
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2Coughing Even if you rarely coughed when you were smoking cigarettes, you may start coughing a lot once you start vaping. E-cig vapor tends to be airier and more robust than cigarette smoke, so you’ll likely cough a lot as you adjust to the texture of the e-cig smoke. [20] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
- Even if the vape smoke doesn’t make you cough on its own, there are tons of chemicals in vape juice that are known to irritate the throat and trigger coughing.
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3Throat irritation You might actually develop a sore throat when you quit smoking as the nicotine withdrawal causes the blood vessels in your throat to tighten. That sore throat is likely to get worse when you start vaping as you re-irritate all of the tissue and fibers inside of your neck. [21] X Research source
- This throat irritation will go away after a few weeks, but you’re likely to have throat irritation periodically whenever you vape frequently.
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4Chest pain Many vape juices contain diacetyl, which is a food additive. This is known to damage passageways in the lungs and cause chest pain. A lot of vape juices also contain acrolein, which is a weed killer. That chemical is known to damage the lungs and cause chest pain. [22] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
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5Oxygen dizziness Nicotine increases blood pressure and constricts your blood vessels. This makes it harder for oxygen to get into your bloodstream, which can cause nausea and dizziness. This can be especially noticeable when you switch to vaping since you’ll get so much more vapor from an e-cig than you’d get smoke from a cigarette. [23] X Research source
Is vaping better for you than smoking?
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We still need more research, but yes, vaping is probably better. There are a lot of studies on this subject, and it does appear that vaping is better for your health than smoking cigarettes. [24] X Trustworthy Source Cancer Research UK U.K.-based cancer research and advocacy charity Go to source This doesn’t mean vaping is 100% safe, though. It’s not good to put anything foreign in your lungs, and there are over 7,000 chemicals in e-cigarette juice. It’s clear that vaping is bad for your heart and lungs, but it’s probably not as bad as smoking cigarettes. [25] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
- Unfortunately, the nicotine that you vape is just as addictive as nicotine from cigarettes. While nicotine isn’t nearly as bad for your body as tobacco, it can change the way synapses are formed in your brain. This is especially bad if you’re an adolescent who is still developing and growing. [26] X Research source
Is it a good idea to use vapes to quit smoking?
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It’s not the worst option, but there are better ideas out there. People who quit smoking cold turkey only have a 4-5% success rate. [27] X Research source People who vape to quit, on the other hand, increase their odds of success about 8 times over. [28] X Trustworthy Source National Institutes of Health U.S. government agency for biomedical and public health research Go to source While you’re probably going to have more success using a patch or chewing gum to ween yourself off of nicotine, using an e-cigarette isn’t the world’s worst option. [29] X Trustworthy Source American Cancer Society Nonprofit devoted to promoting cancer research, education, and support Go to source
- See your doctor before trying to quit. There are a lot of medications on the market that have promising results when it comes to quitting smoking, and studies show that discussing your plans to quit will increase the odds you’re successful. [30] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
- If you’re going to use a vape to quit smoking, avoid flavored vape juices (like mango or mint). Those tend to be worse for your health than traditional tobacco flavors. [31] X Research source
Quitting Vaping
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1Reduce your nicotine dosage over time. Most cigarettes contain 10-12 mg of nicotine. Vape juice can come in a variety of mg dosages—usually 12-3 mg. If you’re using a higher mg e-juice, start tapering your way down to the 3 mg levels. This way, you can slowly ween yourself off of the nicotine entirely. [32] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- When you’re ready, you can even use e-juice with 0 mg of nicotine. This will give you the satisfaction of the vapor without the ill effects of the nicotine.
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2Replace your cravings with gum, toothpicks, or healthy snacks. One of the hardest parts of quitting vaping is the physical act of the whole thing. You’re used to lifting the vape pen to your mouth, taking a drag, and then exhaling the vapor. Whenever you feel the urge to vape, try chewing a piece of gum or gnawing on a toothpick instead. You can also eat an apple or snack on some peanuts to keep your mind and mouth busy. [33] X Trustworthy Source American Cancer Society Nonprofit devoted to promoting cancer research, education, and support Go to source
- Cinnamon sticks are another fun and flavorful option if you want something that will last roughly as long as a cigarette would.
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3Try nicotine replacement therapy for a proven option. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about trying out nicotine gum or getting on a nicotine patch. There are also nicotine-coated lozenges and smokeless inhalers that contain nicotine if you want to try something else. Talk to your healthcare provider to explore the options that might be best for you. [34] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source
- If you want direction and you don’t have a PCP, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to talk to a smoking cessation specialist.
Expert Q&A
Tips
- There have been reports of vaping illnesses and vaping-related deaths in the past few years. These were almost entirely caused by illegal THC cartridges, not regulated nicotine products. [35] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to sourceThanks
- If you are going to vape, the best options are the refillable pod-shaped devices. [36] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source The “ciaglike” models tend to not produce satisfactory vapor, and the bigger mods require tinkering with coils.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about quitting smoking, check out our in-depth interview with Ni-Cheng Liang, MD .
References
- ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/
- ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/What-to-expect-when-you-quit-smoking
- ↑ https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/i-want-to-quit/benefits-of-quitting
- ↑ https://www.quit.com/quitting/cigarette-cravings.html
- ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/What-to-expect-when-you-quit-smoking
- ↑ https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/whats-in-an-e-cigarette
- ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/What-to-expect-when-you-quit-smoking
- ↑ https://www.wmhs.com/your-body-quit-smoking
- ↑ https://www.wmhs.com/your-body-quit-smoking
- ↑ https://www.wmhs.com/your-body-quit-smoking
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-vaping-decrease-athletic-performance/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3723776/
- ↑ https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/i-want-to-quit/benefits-of-quitting
- ↑ https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/i-want-to-quit/benefits-of-quitting
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-vaping-damage-your-lungs-what-we-do-and-dont-know-2019090417734
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21813-nicotine-headache
- ↑ https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/poison/nicotine-poisoning
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/what-does-vaping-do-to-your-lungs
- ↑ https://healthnews.com/health-conditions/respiratory-diseases/how-to-avoid-a-sore-throat-from-vaping/
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/what-does-vaping-do-to-your-lungs
- ↑ https://www.trdrp.org/news/vaping-lung-injury-symptoms.html
- ↑ https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/is-vaping-harmful
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping
- ↑ https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/knowtherisks.html
- ↑ https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/read-trying-quit-smoking-cold-turkey
- ↑ https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/e-cigarette-use-may-lead-some-quit-traditional-cigarettes
- ↑ https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/other-ways-to-quit-smoking.html
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/quit-smoking-medications/5-new-ways-to-quit-with-medicines/index.html
- ↑ https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-021-01737-5 ?
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982503/
- ↑ https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/quitting-smoking-help-for-cravings-and-tough-situations.html
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vaping-its-hard-to-quit-but-help-is-available-2019110118248
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping
- ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/