Staff Reporter
ELECTRONIC cigarettes are becoming one of the most popular gifts this holiday season. However, experts advise against this habit and warn of the potential damage vaping causes to the lungs.
The electronic cigarette or vaporizer has gained significant popularity due to the false belief that ‘vaping’ is healthier than smoking.
The sale of these devices has skyrocketed, and they are expected to be a top gift choice for the holidays. However, experts strongly discourage this habit and caution about the potential harm vaping can inflict on the lungs.
“The lungs are designed to breathe pure air and facilitate the transport of external oxygen into the body to perform metabolic and vital functions. From this premise, any substance other than pure air is harmful,” states Dr. José María Ignacio, Head of the Pulmonology Department at Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital and Quirónsalud Campo de Gibraltar Hospital.
The success of vaping lies in its appeal to a segment of the population that rejects smoking due to its toxicity and sees electronic cigarettes as a better alternative because of their seemingly natural composition. “From a medical standpoint, we strongly advise against these products, as their production involves the use of many other chemical substances that could be even more harmful to health,” explains the expert.
In this regard, the pulmonologist highlights the first cases linked to vaping reported by the scientific community. “Now that more than 10 years have passed since this trend emerged, the first medical reports are coming in, describing a significant number of patients developing conditions even more severe than those caused by tobacco itself.”
Finally, the specialist from Quirónsalud Marbella and Quirónsalud Campo de Gibraltar Hospitals issues a specific warning to asthma sufferers about the dangerous effects of electronic cigarettes on their respiratory systems. “Vaping causes the bronchus to close. Many of these patients with respiratory conditions will experience a worsening of their disease as a direct consequence of vapour inhalation.”
Smoking Cessation Unit
According to statistics handled by experts, a very high percentage of smokers switch from tobacco to vaping intending to reduce consumption and quit smoking. In most cases, there is an initial reduction in tobacco use, but in the long term, they fail to achieve the goal of eliminating consumption or end up substituting their dependency for vaping.
In the expert’s opinion, the toxic relationship remains because ‘it continues to be an addiction’. The specialist emphasises raising awareness about adopting healthy lifestyle habits without resorting to such products. To this end, the work carried out with patients in specialised areas, such as the Smoking Cessation Unit at Quirónsalud Marbella and Quirónsalud Campo de Gibraltar Hospitals, is essential.
Proper guidance from specialists is crucial. In an initial consultation, a comprehensive clinical history of the patient is prepared, including a specific smoking history to assess the degree of physical dependence on nicotine and the severity of smoking. Based on this information, the Pulmonology Department team determines the most suitable pharmacological treatment as a nicotine replacement therapy to combat addiction.
Smoking is considered the leading preventable cause of death in developed countries. It begins as a voluntary action but quickly becomes a dominating habit that is difficult to control and abandon.
Quirónsalud in Andalucia
The Quirónsalud Group currently operates seven hospitals in Andalusia, located in Málaga, Marbella, Los Barrios (Cádiz), two in Seville, Córdoba, and Huelva. Additionally, it has 18 specialty and diagnostic medical centers and a surgical day hospital, positioning it as a leader in private healthcare in this region.
About Quirónsalud
Quirónsalud is the leading healthcare group in Spain and, together with its parent company Fresenius-Helios, also in Europe. In addition to its operations in Spain, Quirónsalud is also present in Latin America. Together, the group has more than 50,000 professionals across more than 180 healthcare centers, including 57 hospitals with over 8,000 hospital beds. It boasts the most advanced technology and a highly specialized team of internationally renowned professionals.
Its facilities include the Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Teknon Medical Center, Ruber International, Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospital, Quirónsalud Barcelona Hospital, Dexeus University Hospital, Gipuzkoa Polyclinic, Quirónsalud General University Hospital of Catalonia, and Quirónsalud Sagrado Corazón Hospital, among others.
The Group promotes teaching (10 of its hospitals are university-affiliated) and medical-scientific research (through its accredited Research Institute for Health Sciences of the FJD). Its care services are organized into units and transversal networks to optimize accumulated experience across its centers and apply clinical research findings. Currently, Quirónsalud is developing numerous research projects throughout Spain, and many of its centers are pioneers in fields such as oncology, cardiology, endocrinology, gynecology, and neurology.
For more information, please visit www.quironsalud.com/marbella or call
+34 952 774 200
