People who vape regularly have been warned that they run the risk of losing their sense of taste due to a ‘grim’ health condition dentists are seeing more of.
Otherwise known as ‘vapers tongue’, people who smoke are being urged to re-think the habit.
One dental expert took to TikTok and explained the condition that frequent vapers suffer from.
Anna Peterson, a dental hygienist and therapist based in London, said: “Vapers tongue is on the rise due to the popularity of vapes.
“The symptoms are numbness of the tongue, failure to actually taste your vape flavour and experiencing an unpleasant taste from your vape. Even impact to your taste in general which means you just can’t taste food properly.”
Peterson also said that the condition could lead to stuffy noses. This means that besides your taste, the problem is impacting your sense of smell too.
She continued by highlighting the root cause of the problem, saying: “If there’s nicotine in your vape, then it’s actually causing your mouth to dry out. This can completely remove your sense of taste.”
Thankfully, the condition may not be permanent as Peterson claims: “If you start to cut down on vaping, or stop completely, your taste may come back.”
Other symptoms of ‘vapers tongue’ can also include a numb tongue and experiencing an unpleasant taste from your vape. You may notice white powdery residue on your tongue too, which can impact the speed your taste buds regenerate.
Experts said passing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the UK will pave the way for measures to reduce the appeal of vaping to children and young people, such as restricting the flavours, packaging and display of e-cigarettes.
Dr Mike McKean, vice president of policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), raised concerns that vape companies have had “free reign” to target youngsters.
He also said almost a fifth of teens having tried vaping, which he described as extremely worrying. “At the end of the day, vaping is not risk free and very often addictive,” he said.
“I’m concerned that we have allowed e-cigarette companies free reign to target our children with these brightly coloured, flavoured, appealing and potentially damaging products. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is now a matter of urgency for the health of our children and young people.”