Do Electronic Cigarettes Raise The Risk Of Stroke In Children?

E-cigarettes or electronic cigarettes is a device that produces a mist to be inhaled instead of smoke. Also known as vaping, it emits a vapourized solution that provides the sensation of smoking a regular cigarette. The solution often smells fruity and needs to be refilled regularly. An e-cigarette usually looks like a regular cigarette, pen, USB drive, pipe or cigar.

Since they do not emit actual smoke, e-cigarettes are considered a substitute for traditional cigarettes. It is preferred by people who want to cut down or quit smoking completely. It is also extremely popular among teens and young adults who are underage to smoke. However, some researchers have linked vaping to multiple health issues, including stroke.  

Do Electronic Cigarettes Increase the Risk of Stroke?

Yes. As per recent research, electronic cigarettes are found to increase the risk of stroke at a younger age by 15% as compared to traditional cigarettes. For the unversed, stroke is a life-threatening disease where the brain stops working properly after its blood supply is blocked or ruptured. E-cigarettes are especially risky for people with a history of high blood pressure, heart attack and high cholesterol.

The biggest reason for the risk attached with electronic cigarettes is that they mostly consist of nicotine along with some flavours and chemicals. Although the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes varies from one manufacturer to another, a single refill of the vapourizing solution can roughly contain the amount of nicotine found in 20 traditional cigarettes. As a result, it is unhealthier than a traditional cigarette.

Besides, the various chemicals found in the vapourizing solution of e-cigarettes can damage the lining of the blood vessels, which can lead to atherosclerosis. It can also cause injuries to blood vessels that weakens their strength as well as make them vulnerable to clot formations. Thus, e-cigarettes expose their users to the risk of both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke.

Health Insurance Coverage for Stroke

In India, the treatment cost of stroke is covered by certain types of health insurance plans, known as critical illness insurance plans. These plans provide health insurance coverage for several critical illnesses, including stroke. Under this type of policy, the policyholder is provided with a lump sum benefit equivalent to the sum insured of the policy on the occurrence of a stroke.

The money can be used to pay for the treatment, recovery and medications, substitute the lost income, pay off debts as well as make lifestyle changes. Alternatively, some health insurance plans also offer critical illness coverage for stroke as an add-on cover. In this case, the policyholder needs to pay an additional premium to buy critical illness add-on cover under their regular health insurance plan. However, the policy needs to be renewed regularly before its expiry date.

Conclusion

Smoking slowly cuts down the total number of years from your life. Although e-cigarettes were initially considered a great alternative to cut down on smoking, the amount of nicotine in them is leading to a higher risk of stroke at a younger age. Therefore, people should avoid using e-cigarettes as much as they avoid traditional cigarettes. Moreover, it is better to opt for critical illness insurance cover as a precaution as stroke is an expensive disease to treat.

Also read: Importance of Getting Health Insurance That Covers Home Treatment

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