While e-cigarettes have been touted as 'healthier than real cigarettes', they can produce a brain fog as well as a literal one. Vapers are at three or four times the risk of experiencing a brain fog than those who have never used them, the study revealed.
' Both teens and adults who vape regularly are more likely to have symptoms described as “brain fog,” – like difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions – than people who do not, according to two new analyses conducted at the University of Rochester in New York.
It is possible that nicotine exposure through vaping causes difficulty with mental function. But it is equally possible that people who report mental fog are simply more likely to smoke or vape - possibly to self-medicate.
Nicotine has a negative impact on the synapses that connect brain cells. This can spur changes in the brain area controlling essential functions such as mood, attention, learning and impulse control. Additionally, many vaping devices produce vapor containing lead, which can cause brain damage.
Is this normal? Yes, it is absolutely normal to feel like your brain is “foggy” or feel fatigue after you quit smoking. Foggy brain is just one of the many symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and it's often most common in the first week or two of quitting.
2 to 4 weeks – At this point, your energy levels may be down, but your brain fog will begin to clear up. Most of the physical symptoms such as coughing and sore throat will also be gone.
While the researchers confirmed previous findings that alcoholism isassociated with thinking problems and lower IQ, their analysis alsorevealed that long-term smoking is too. The effect on memory,problem-solving and IQ was most pronounced among those who had smokedfor years.
Additional long-term side-effects of using a nicotine-free vape include lung damage, rapid onset of persistent coughing, difficulties in normal breathing, and diarrhea.
Even though it's marketed as a “healthier” alternative to cigarette smoke, vaping has been linked to cognitive issues such as Alzheimer's. Heavy alcohol use, whether over one night or several years, can cause memory lapses.
Perhaps the most common reason you may feel sick after vaping is the nicotine itself. Most of us will be familiar with the concept of a “niccy rush”. It is a light-headedness that comes from taking in a big hit of nicotine either for the first time that day, or simply if we take a bigger puff than normal.
Brain risks: Nicotine affects your brain development. This can make it harder to learn and concentrate. Some of the brain changes are permanent and can affect your mood and ability to control your impulses as an adult.
Brain fog is not a medical condition. It's a general term people use when they feel that their thinking is fuzzy or slow. Think of how you feel in those first moments when you wake up — your brain is slow to process, everything seems a little foggy, and even your body moves a little slowly.
Though nicotine has not been found to directly cause mental health conditions, peer-reviewed studies reveal troubling links between vaping, nicotine, and worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as higher odds of having a depression diagnosis.
There is no exact number of puffs that are considered safe. It is recommended to be aware of your smoking habits to monitor if you are taking too much. Vapes may be less dangerous than traditional cigarettes; it is essential to know your limit. You can enjoy and have a great vaping experience while not overusing it.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
Benefits of vaping
Vaping can help some people quit smoking. Vaping is usually cheaper than smoking. Vaping is not harmless, but it is much less harmful than smoking. Vaping is less harmful to those around you than smoking, as there's no current evidence that second-hand vapour is dangerous to others.
There is no real "normal," and the puffs per day don't matter. The acceptable daily intake for nicotine varies based on several modes of life and biological factors. Since the system to calculate nicotine intake per puff isn't an exact science, it's better to satisfy your needs.
Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death. Some chemicals in vaping products can also cause cardiovascular disease and biological changes that are associated with cancer development.
Headaches, Dizziness, and/or Headrush
Headaches, dizziness, and headrush are all symptoms that will go away with long-term vaping. There is very little you can do to ward them off other than by drinking plenty of water.
The good news is that once you stop smoking entirely, the number of nicotine receptors in your brain will eventually return to normal. As that happens, the craving response will occur less often, won't last as long or be as intense and, in time, will fade away completely.
Nicotine is a stimulant, which may have properties similar to stimulant medications (e.g., Ritalin) used to treat ADHD. Nicotine may increase attention and reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and, thus, may regulate behavior in individuals with ADHD.
Nicotine Research on Brain Disorders
An analysis of 41 studies concluded that nicotine safely improved fine motor skills, attention, accuracy, response time, short-term memory, and working memory.