That little tingle in the back of your throat when you light up a tobacco cigarette is a feeling that many new vapers are expecting when taking their first puff of an e-cigarette. But a chronic sore throat can quickly suck the fun out of vaping.
The Culprits Behind Throat Irritation From Vaping
When it comes to quitting smoking and making the switch to vaping, new users may experience throat irriation, among other temporary side effects. Here’s an overview of some of the culprits behind that sore throat you might experience with vaping.
The Smoker’s Flu: Both quitting tobacco cigarettes cold turkey and switching to vaping may come with a range of side effects that can literally make you feel ill – and without having anything to do with vaping or influenza. Smoker’s flu is a collection of symptoms including sore throat, cough, headaches, insomnia and stomach issues, among others, which result from tobacco withdrawal. It’s essentially your body working hard to heal itself from the tar and other of all of the dangerous chemicals added to tobacco cigarettes. While it may make you feel miserable for a few days or even weeks, depending on how long you smoked, you’ll feel a lot better in the long run.
Nicotine Content: One of the great things about vaping is you can customize your nicotine strength to suit your needs. If you’re used to smoking a pack of regular tobacco cigarettes every day, the recommended starting nicotine strength for e-liquids is 2.4 percent. This level should give you a good “throat hit” while satiating your nicotine cravings. If you’re vaping excessively to get your nicotine fix, consider adjusting to a higher dose. If you’re used to smoking less than a pack per day, sticking with a lower nicotine strength can help alleviate throat irritation.
Related: Smoking vs. Vaping: How Much Nicotine is in a Cigarette?
Vaping Style: If you’re drawing on your e-cig with the same intensity as a tobacco cigarette, a sore throat is almost inevitable. Along with thousands of dangerous chemicals, tobacco cigarettes are laced with anesthetics that ease the sting of inhaling an irritant. E-liquids lack these chemicals, which could be better for your health, but may also leave you with a sensitive throat.
When first starting out, the best way to vape is with the “mouth to lung” technique, which involves taking slow draws from your e-cig and holding the vapor in your mouth briefly before inhaling into your lungs to minimize throat irritation and prevent coughing. As you become more experienced with vaping, you can practice different techniques, such as the “direct to lung” method which involves inhaling the vapor directly into your lungs.
Combating Throat Irritation: Hydration is Key
When developed by a reputable company, like White Cloud, e-liquid ingredients are rarely the root cause of a sore throat. However, e-liquid bases can play a part. The majority of e-liquids contain just a few components, including nicotine, flavoring, and an oil base. The most common bases are propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerol (VG), or a combination of both.
In e-liquids, the main role of PG and VG is to lower the boiling point of liquid nicotine so it can be evaporated without the need for fire and combustion. However, each also serves a different role. The VG in an e-liquid is used to produce thicker vapor and bigger “clouds”, while PG is used to add the “throat hit” many smokers crave. Because both bases attract moisture, continuous vaping can cause your mouth to dry out, which in turn can lead to a sore throat. The best way to avoid this is staying well hydrated, so try making a habit of keeping water nearby every time you vape.
While some brands use either one or the other, White Cloud combines both PG and VG to offer the perfect ratio of throat hit and vapor production. Through extensive testing, we’ve found that our 70/30 PG to VG ratio produces the best balance of flavor and vapor while minimizing discomfort. The combination of our unique blend with the above advice should give you a pleasurable, pain-free vaping experience.
Related: Understanding E-Liquid Sensitivities and Side effects
Keep Calm and Vape On
Don’t let one negative vaping experience ruin your commitment to making the switch. There are plenty of options when it comes to finding your perfect vape – and you can find them all here at White Cloud!From our convenient Fling disposables to a range of rechargeable starter kits, all available in 6 different nicotine strengths and 24 adult flavors, we’ve got your entire vaping experience covered from beginner to advanced!
