An e-cigarette is a handheld electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking. It works by heating a liquid to generate an aerosol, commonly called a ‘vapor’, that the user inhales. Using e-cigarettes is sometimes called Vaping. The liquid in the e-cigarette, called e-liquid, is usually made of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, and flavorings. Not all e-liquids contain nicotine.

While e-cigarettes have been marketed as the ‘healthier’ alternative to smoking, it could be that they are just as harmful. Even vaping is dangerous after a limit. So, guys, beware. Vaping can be as bad as cigarettes, as it can cause the similar deadly lung diseases, warns a study.

According to a recent study by researchers at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the experts concluded that vaping can lead to the same deadly lung disease that smoking regular cigarettes can. “E-cigarettes appear to trigger unique immune responses which cigarettes also trigger.”

What’s more, regular usage of these types of devices could also lead to inflammatory conditions like lupus, psoriasis, and vasculitis. Senior study author Mehmet Kesimer and co-authors report findings from what they believe is the first study to use human airway samples to explore the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

“There is confusion about whether e-cigarettes are ‘safer’ than cigarettes because the potential adverse effects of e-cigarettes are only beginning to be studied,” Dr. Kesimer stated.

A 2016 Surgeon General’s report found that e-cigarette use increased by 900 percent among high school students from 2011 to 2015. Also in 2016, the Food and Drug Administration extended its regulatory oversight of tobacco products to include e-cigarettes.

“Our results suggest that e-cigarettes might just be as bad as cigarettes.” While the research group was only a small one looking at just 15 e-cigarette users it’s results may be very telling of what these devices can do. The researchers compared the airways of the users to those of 14 smokers and a further 15 non-smokers (or e-cig users).

The findings were that the e-cigarette users had higher levels of proteins in their airways than non-smokers. It’s those very proteins that can be related to some troubling health concerns, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis.

The authors wrote that more research is necessary to determine if this increase is associated with systemic inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, vasculitis, and psoriasis