Vaping is healthier and cleaner than smoking cigarettes. Also, you don’t need ashtrays with vaping, and the smell doesn’t stick to everything! On the other hand, vaping is just as addictive as using cigarettes.
Chain-smoking entails lighting one cigarette off the other. Chain vaping is similar and it is when a person keeps replacing one cartridge after another. You can tell you’re chain vaping if you develop symptoms like vaper’s mouth, stomach cramps, or just generally vape in a chain-like manner.
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What is Chain Vaping?
In vape lingo, a chain vaper is much the same as a chain smoker. Chain-smoking is the act of continually using cigarettes by lighting a fresh one from the embers of another. Likewise, chain vaping is a steady vaping process with only brief pauses between sessions.
Chain vaping can be an easy habit to fall into, particularly for smokers who have switched to vaping, but waiting 15-30 seconds between puffs is necessary to ensure your wick has enough e-liquid.
This time frame can seem like a long time for some people, and they end up becoming chain vapers.
Health Risks Associated With Vaping
If you vape in moderation, you may be in control of your habit. But, even if you aren’t a chain vaper, that doesn’t mean you are not still at risk for some of the health effects of vaping. Compared to cigarettes, the risks are significantly low. However, vaping isn’t 100% harmless, so it’s best to stop chain vaping.
For starters, vaping, especially often, can contribute to chronic lung disease and cardiovascular issues.
It is important to remember also that the nicotine in e-liquid is as harmful as in a cigarette. Yet, manufacturers formulate these liquids to entice vapers with a pleasant flavor or aroma. As a result, it can be more challenging to be aware of how much nicotine you intake while vaping than when using cigarettes.
Over-vaping may even be more insidious if you’ve never smoked cigarettes before because you won’t be as aware of the side effects of too much nicotine.
Before you reach the stage of nicotine poisoning, the most apparent sign of consuming too much nicotine is dehydration. It’s also the most noticeable side effect chain vapers will experience. Furthermore, if you go overboard, you might end up “nic-sick” and start feeling nauseous, dizzy, or have a headache.
If you feel any of these symptoms, stop vaping for a while. To prevent these problems in the future, stop chain vaping.
Common Side Effects of Chain Vaping
Dehydration
Dehydration is one of the most common side effects of chain vaping. The danger is greatest if you use vaping juices with high propylene glycol (PG) ratios.
PG is odorless and colorless but is used in some e-liquids to achieve the same sensation as cigarettes and to produce big vapor clouds. However, PG is a humectant, meaning it will absorb water molecules from your nose and mouth. So, these vape juices, in particular, can cause dehydration if you are constantly vaping.
For beginner vape users, it often takes a few weeks to get used to PG-based liquids. Even without chain vaping, PG can cause dry mouth and sore throat.
The intensity of these effects is only increased by chain vaping. Most vapers will agree that over vaping and dehydration tend to go hand in hand. Prolonged dehydration could lower your blood pressure, break skin cells, and make you weak. So, remember to stay hydrated since intaking fluids is the only way to stave off dehydration.
Vaper’s Tongue
Too much vaping may also cause “vaper’s tongue,” which is a condition where your taste buds get overstimulated. This sensation is also an indirect side effect of dehydration. When you have this common problem, you’ll find that different flavors will either suddenly become tasteless or unpleasant.
In most cases, this issue will only affect a specific flavor rather than a complete loss of taste. But in some cases, the effects may linger for two weeks.
PG Allergic Reaction
Some vape users may have an allergic reaction to certain e-liquid components, notably PG. Since chain vaping leads to consuming more e-liquids with PG, these people are more likely to experience an allergic reaction than moderate vapers. Also, when you start vaping, you may notice side effects if you have a PG sensitivity.
A PG allergy can feel like a general sickness. Most commonly, you’ll experience a sore throat. You may also find you have symptoms similar to a sinus infection or even discover skin rashes. If you suspect you are allergic to PG, you should switch to vegetable glycerin (VG) based juices.
Signs of Nicotine Poisoning
The good news is consuming a fatal dose of nicotine is extremely rare. However, it does happen. More likely than not, if you consume a high enough nicotine level to experience nicotine poisoning, you will become ill but should recover.
It is also crucial to be vigilant about the placement of your nicotine products, such as e-liquid, if you are around small children or pets. The rise in popularity of vape devices has correlated with increased cases of children becoming ill from consuming nicotine. E-liquids often come in small bottles that aren’t always childproof. In addition, they usually have colorful packaging and might smell or taste enticing.
This type of poisoning occurs in stages. Early symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, increased salivation, headache, dizziness, anxiety, sweating, confusion, and rapid heart rate. These symptoms occur within an hour of nicotine consumption. Several hours later, you may experience fatigue, pale skin, weakness, shallow breath, respiratory failure, and diarrhea.
How Much Vaping is Too Much?
Chain vaping can ultimately lead to a nicotine overdose or even nicotine poisoning. According to the CDC, 50 to 60 milligrams of nicotine can be fatal to a 150-pound adult. Considering the average vape cartridge contains 40 milligrams of nicotine (the same amount as a cigarette pack), you would need to smoke two or three cartridges a day to get nicotine poisoning.
Your tolerance to nicotine also plays a role. Some smokers go through one or two packs a day without experiencing the symptoms of a nicotine overdose. Likewise, some vapers find themselves needing to refill their e-cigarettes’ cartridges more than once a day without any adverse side effects. Yet, even one cartridge may be too much for someone with a natural sensitivity to nicotine.
The obvious indicator of vaping too much is noticing damage to your device. Over vaping can damage the ability of your vape wick and coil to absorb e-liquid properly. As a result, you’ll harm your device, especially if you don’t use temperature control.
You might also find that the taste of the vapor becomes less than optimal, and you get dry hits. When you feel that the vapor tastes burnt, you should slow down.
Chain Vaping FAQs
What are the consequences of chain vaping?
Although vaping is a healthier alternative, many ex-smokers tend to chain vape to make up for the lowered nicotine dose between intake methods.
Chain vaping is similar to excessive smoking since the vape user vapes e-cigs often with only short breaks between each session.
This behavior produces faster wear that damages the e-cig. Furthermore, it’s the primary cause of dehydration and other common vaping side effects, like allergic reactions.
Will chain vaping damage my coil?
Yes, chain vaping can affect the life expectancy of your coil because the coil heats up for long periods. Inhalation depth can be a deciding factor, as well as how robust a coil is. So, chain vape users should consider investing in a high-tech coil if they plan to keep their chain vaping habit.
What’s considered an average vaping habit?
The average vape user takes around 132 puffs per day. Somewhere within the range of 100-140 puffs daily is considered average amongst regular vape users.
What’s the best break time between each puff when vaping?
As a general rule, you should wait 15-30 seconds between each puff. If you feel like waiting that long isn’t working for you, you can try switching to a more potent e-juice. Choosing a liquid with a higher nicotine content can help you feel satisfied between puffs.
Final Thoughts
While vaping is generally considered less of a health risk than cigarettes, it is not without its downsides. Chain vapers have a higher probability of experiencing both the common side effects of vaping and the more severe consequences of heavy vape use, like dehydration symptoms.
Most likely, vaping too much will result in minor inconveniences such as dehydration or vaper’s tongue rather than life-threatening issues. However, the overuse of vape products can put you at risk for nicotine poisoning.
Chain vaping may also have a detrimental impact on your vape device. Continuous puffing can damage the coil in your vape, and you might find your smoke tastes burnt. To take good care of your vape, you must wait 15-30 seconds between puffs.
Finally, you can tell if you’ve vaped too much by examining your body. When you start experiencing symptoms associated with over vaping, just cut back. If you’re worried that you chain vape but your body doesn’t seem to be suffering, then you can monitor how quickly you go through vape products. If your vape device is deteriorating faster than it should, you need to slow down.