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Vaping and Wheezing: Unhealthy Effects on US Vapers

By Know Your Vape · · Updated

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Yes, vaping is linked to wheezing. The National Academies found moderate evidence of more cough and wheeze in teens who vape, and of more asthma flare-ups with vaping.

Wheezing is a sign your airways are narrowed or irritated. It's worth taking seriously, especially if it doesn't go away when you stop vaping.

This article explains what wheezing is, what the research shows, and when to see a doctor. Vaping is not for non-smokers or anyone under 21, the US minimum sales age.

The Connection Between Vaping and Wheezing

Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound when you breathe. It happens when air moves through narrowed small airways in the lungs.

Common causes include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), infections, and airway irritation from smoke or chemicals.

Vape aerosol can carry irritants into the airways. The CDC's page on vaping health effects lists nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, flavorings, and tiny particles that reach deep into the lungs.

The 2018 National Academies review graded the evidence:

  • Moderate evidence: more cough and wheeze in adolescents who use e-cigarettes, and an association between vaping and more asthma flare-ups.
  • Limited evidence: respiratory harm in animal and lab studies.
  • No available evidence (as of 2018): whether e-cigarettes cause respiratory disease in humans.

Teens' lungs and brains are still developing, which is one more reason young people should never vape.

Potential Health Risks of Vaping

Respiratory Issues Associated with Vaping

Besides wheezing, people who vape may notice coughing, throat irritation, and shortness of breath. Cough and throat or mouth irritation are among the most common side effects reported in quit-smoking trials, according to Cochrane.

In those trials, these effects often eased with continued use. Symptoms that last or get worse need a doctor's attention.

Long-Term Effects on Lung Function

Whether vaping causes a long-term decline in lung function or leads to COPD is not yet known. Those diseases take years to develop, and long-term studies haven't been completed.

The National Academies found limited evidence that adult smokers with asthma or COPD may see some improvement after switching to e-cigarettes. That's compared with continuing to smoke, not with breathing clean air.

Nicotine raises heart rate shortly after use. Whether vaping causes heart disease in the long run hasn't been established.

Nicotine is highly addictive. Early research also links vaping to cavities, though without proof of cause.

For more information on the risks of vaping, you can visit KnowYourVape.com.

Vaping and Youth

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among US youth. In the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 5.2% of middle and high school students (about 1.44 million) reported current use.

Teens who vape report more cough and wheeze. Nicotine can also affect attention, learning, and mood in the developing brain, according to NIDA.

Since December 20, 2019, federal law has made it illegal to sell any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under 21. FDA says youth and adults who don't use tobacco should not start using e-cigarettes.

For more information on the dangers of vaping and its impact on youth, please visit KnowYourVape.com to learn more about the negative effects of vaping and the potential health risks it poses to young people's respiratory health.

The Importance of Regulation and Awareness

Current Regulations on Vaping Products

FDA regulates e-cigarettes, e-liquids, and their parts as tobacco products. A company needs a written FDA marketing order to legally sell a new vaping product.

FDA says an authorization does not mean a product is safe or FDA approved.

Educating the Public about the Risks of Vaping

Accurate information helps people make better choices. The key messages from health agencies are simple: vaping is not safe, non-smokers and young people shouldn't start, and adult smokers who switch should switch completely.

Steps to Protect Public Health

Enforcing the 21+ sales age, limiting marketing aimed at youth, and offering free quit support all help.

Free help to quit is available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW and Smokefree.gov.

Please note that this blog post is not intended to provide medical advice. If you have concerns about vaping or its effects on your health, it is recommended to consult with a healthcare professional.

Internal links: risks of e-cigarettes, vaping and respiratory problems

Conclusion

Vaping is linked to wheezing, coughing, and asthma flare-ups, especially in teens. The long-term effects on lung function are still unknown.

If you wheeze after vaping, take it as a warning sign. Stop and see a doctor, particularly if you also have chest tightness or shortness of breath.

For adult smokers, switching completely to vaping is expected to be less harmful than smoking. For everyone else, the best way to avoid vaping-related wheezing is not to vape.

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