There have been many reports stating that e-cigarettes are spontaneously exploding – leaving their users with burns, disfigured jaws and a litany of other health problems.
E-cigarettes, also known as “vaping”, are a popular alternative to regular smoking, but contrary to popular belief, it is very unhealthy, with some research suggesting it isn’t even healthier than normal smoking.
This latest revelation further emphasizes the potential problems of e-cigarettes. Recent research has looked into cases of exploding e-cigarettes more.
What problems does vaping cause?
Vaping appears to be increasing in popularity. In fact, in some countries, the number of e-cigarette users actually outnumbers traditional smokers.
Many believe that vaping is a “healthy” form of smoking, but this isn’t true. E-cigarettes heat up a liquid which creates a vapor that users inhale. They still contain nicotine, and also flood the body with dangerous chemicals.
Similarly to smoking, vaping can cause a range of problems – including high blood pressure, increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and lung diseases among other conditions.
Can e-cigarettes “explode”?
Perhaps one of the most worrying aspects of e-cigarettes is the recent rise in cases of them spontaneously exploding. Essentially, people are finding that out of nowhere, their e-cigarettes are blowing up, causing significant injuries.
Researchers from Australia have looked into 32 cases of exploding e-cigarettes. These have taken place over the last 10 years.
Among the most common consequences were severe burns, facial injuries and substantial pain. Moreover, blast injuries from the projectile are capable of dislodging into the brain and causing death.
The researchers found that some victims required major surgery. For example, this included jaw reconstruction, dental implants and skin grafts – such is the extent of the damage e-cigarettes can do.
These users found the e-cigarettes exploding while they were near the mouth. Some more fortunate people exist – where the e-cigarette exploded either in their pocket, or when they were holding it down by their waist.
But even so, such explosions caused injuries to the hips, legs and thighs. Again, serious damage was done in these cases.
Due to these explosions, it may only be a matter of time before someone dies from such an event. They are capable of causing severe injuries – potentially life-changing.
Perhaps the most worrying aspect is that the researchers were unable to identify any cause of the explosions. Instead, they appeared to come out of nowhere, and were completely random.
This means that when children or pets are caught up in the vicinity of one of these explosions, they may well be severely injured. There are many, many concerns surrounding this.
The Takeaway
As if there weren’t enough concerns over vaping, this is an additional problem to be concerned about. Explosions are rare, but certainly happen, and can cause severe problems, as the researchers found.
Vaping is very damaging – unlike what many people say. It is important for those that do vape to look to give up as soon as possible. Doing so can be very beneficial to health.
The research was carried out by a team of researchers from La Trobe University in Australia, with their findings being published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.