Your health

Got a medical problem or need health advice? Ask GP Dr Philippa Kaye

- By Dr Philippa Kaye

Q I've been a smoker since my teens and I'm now in my 50s. I changed to vaping, but my daughter is still horrified at me. Which is worse real cigarettes or electronic ones?

A As a doctor, I would much prefer for patients to not start smoking, or if they do, it would be much better for them if they could stop smoking altogether. But I also appreciate that quitting smoking can be extremely difficult for many people.

For smokers, e-cigarettes can be a useful step to quitting nicotine completely. You say that you have been a smoker for many years. Switching to e-cigarettes means that you are now receiving the nicotine to help your cravings, but you are not suffering from the effects of the tar and the other components that come with tobacco. Plus, e-cigarettes do not release carbon monoxide. So for people who already smoke, e-cigarettes are the better choice.

However, many people are now taking up e-cigarettes - or vaping - as a lifestyle choice, rather than as a stepping stone on the road to stopping smoking tobacco.

The problem with this is that while e-cigarettes may not have all of the same harmful content as real cigarettes, they are not risk-free. They still contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance, and if you vape, you're inhaling superheated vapours into the lungs.

Researchers in the USA have recently found that using e-cigarettes can cause a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. Vaping can also cause other problems, and have a bad effect on your teeth and oral health.

For his birthday, my husband got a handheld computer game from the grandchildren with brain-training puzzles.