Why Does My Throat Burn After Vaping?
A common question you might ask yourself is: Why does my vape burn my throat? If you've found yourself asking this question, you'll be glad to know that we might have the answer.
Many vapers will spend money investing in high-quality vaping devices and e-liquids, only to find that they experience a frequent, slight burning sensation.
There are numerous reasons why you might be experiencing a burning feeling after vaping; from using low-quality vaping devices to taking dry hits, there are various explanations for this sometimes painful sensation.
These feelings can often ruin your vaping experience by causing irritation in your throat. To better understand why your throat might be burning after toking your vape, continue reading.
What is a Throat Hit?
The throat hit from a vaping device is the feeling you get at the back of your throat as you inhale. Cigarette smokers often experience a throat hit, and the sensation can be even harsher when smoking a cigar.
This is due to the higher concentration of nicotine in a cigar, a principle that carries over to e-liquids as well. The sensation of a strong throat hit while vaping is comparable to that experienced with traditional cigarettes, so it can certainly be irritating to the throat.
If you're not a smoker or simply not used to this kind of sensation, this irritation can prove tedious, causing pain in your throat and a persistent cough. By taking a weaker or more gentle hit, you could potentially prevent a cough from occurring.
This particular approach to vaping is best advised for beginners. A lack of throat hit is also the preferred experience for many vapers who vape frequently or like to perform tricks.
You can customise the throat hit of your vaping to fit your preference, adjusting either the e-liquid you use or the wattage of your device to help fine-tune your experience. It's important to know how to tweak your throat hit to suit your level of experience, as this gives you the best chance of avoiding a burning throat.
The Causes of a Burning Throat While Vaping
Whether you're in the midst of quitting smoking or using a CBD vape to relax and have a better night's sleep, there are many individuals who enjoy vaping as part of their daily routine.
However, your once-positive vaping experience can quickly change if you begin feeling a burning sensation in your throat. There are several factors that could potentially cause this feeling. Let's take a look at some of the most common causes of a burning throat while vaping.
Low-Quality Devices
It's important to know how vaping devices work and which one is best for your needs. Poorly made vaping devices might not allow you to adjust wattage levels and could vaporise your e-liquid at a high temperature.
This makes the vapour extremely hot, which could potentially leave you with a sore throat. Additionally, vaping a device with a high wattage level often causes the burning sensation that we all want to avoid. Opting for a vaping device from a trusted company is key.
We advise both beginners and more experienced vape users to consider devices with a wider drop tip; this is because smaller tips narrow the airflow, ultimately resulting in a harsher throat hit. In most cases, you should be able to swap your drip tip for a wider design.
Propylene Glycol (PG) Concentration
Propylene glycol is a substance found in e-liquids. It's typically added to e-liquids to provide a strong throat hit, similar to cigarette smoking.
Propylene glycol is also one of the primary carrier agents for an e-liquid. Propylene glycol absorbs moisture from the mouth and throat membranes.
Though it's deemed safe for human consumption, it's known to cause some throat irritation when used in high concentrations. To avoid a burning throat feeling when vaping, we suggest using an e-liquid with a lower PG and a higher vegetable glycerin (VG) content.
Vaping e-liquid can often cause dehydration. Staying hydrated in between vape sessions is crucial and can help prevent dryness in the throat, which can be painful.
Nicotine Levels or Withdrawal
Nicotine is an optional ingredient in e-liquids, as some will contain no nicotine while others will replace it with another active agent like CBD.
If you've recently quit smoking and switched to vaping, the e-liquid that you're using might be the cause of your sore or burning throat.
In this case, using vape juice with a low nicotine concentration might be the cause of your burning throat due to the nicotine withdrawal you could be experiencing.
To avoid a burning throat, you should try using an e-liquid with a higher nicotine concentration and then gradually reduce that concentration over time.
Alternatively, if you're not used to nicotine, then using vape juice with a high concentration of nicotine will cause coughing, irritation, and a burning throat. If you’re a stranger to nicotine, we would urge you to use e-liquids with no nicotine additive at all.
Taking a Dry Hit
Using your device when there's no juice in the tank will often result in a dry hit, which is an abrasive and overly hot drag that will likely cause a burning throat.
You'll need to ensure that there's enough e-liquid in your tank at all times and that the coil is well-primed to avoid burning out.
Many vape devices will have either entirely clear tanks or small viewing windows, making it easy to check your levels before you take a toke.
Chain Vaping
Toking your vape too many times in a row causes the wick to dry up quickly. Binge vaping, along with general overstimulation, might cause a burning throat.
Vaping is distinctly different from smoking, so take it slow when you notice a burning sensation in your throat. Doing this gives enough time for the wick to get saturated with juice between drags. Priming your coils well before you start vaping will also help.
Volatile Organic Compounds and Diacetyl
Some vape juices can contain diacetyl or other volatile organic compounds known to cause sore throat or irritation. Diacetyl itself is illegal to use in e-liquids in the UK.
If you think it could be one of these additives causing your sore throat, try changing the brand or flavour of your e-liquid to avoid the burning sensation. This is why it's important to purchase e-liquids from a reputable manufacturer to ensure your experience is as safe as possible.
Burned Coils
Coils burn out for several reasons, some of which are sadly unavoidable. When coils burn, you should not continue using them. Replace a burnt-out coil immediately for the best results. Your coil’s lifespan will depend on your vaping frequency and the wattage at which you vape.
If you notice that your juice has lost flavour or can't produce as much vapour as it used to, it's probably time to replace the coil to prevent your vape from burning.
To get the best performance out of your coil, prime it efficiently before use and ensure that you're using the correct coil for your vaping device.
These are some of the main causes of a burning sensation when you vape. The good news is that you don't have to completely sacrifice that satisfying smooth feeling at the back of your throat, trade in your clouds, or stop using your favourite vape juice flavour to avoid having a burning throat.
Know how to strike a balance and learn how your device works to prevent the majority of burning throats. If your throat continues to become irritated and painful despite taking our advice, we suggest that you stop vaping until you speak with a healthcare professional.
Where to Find Trusted Vape Products
Having a burning throat, sore throat, or any type of throat irritation while vaping can be a nasty experience. Though this burning can be caused by a wide range of different issues, it can be avoided.
In many cases, it's entirely possible to prevent a burning throat, and one of the main reasons is to purchase both your vape device and e-liquids from reputable and trusted brands, like Orange County CBD.
We have a wide range of CBD vapes and e-liquid flavours available to consider. We understand the importance of having access to a safe vape that contains zero nicotine.
Our disposable vapes are most popular, providing our customers with a simple way to find their preferred flavour. If vaping isn't for you, you can rest assured that we have a selection of products, such as oils, gummies, and topicals, made using award-winning CBD. If you require any additional information about our products, feel free to get in touch.