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Electronic cigarette explosions are caused by batteries
Doctors are surprised by the effects of e-cigarettes on users. They have received and treated patients with burns caused by electronic cigarette explosions. So the danger of explosion with these perhaps stylish devices is real. Some doctors say they have been having approximately two such cases each month.
Physicians who treated people with burns caused by e-cigarettes describe the cases in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. They explain that all patients had something in common, namely the type of battery for their devices. It seems like e-cigarette explosions are caused by their lithium-ion batteries, which tend to overheat.
According to the medical reports, eighty percent of the patients had severe burns caused by flames, while other thirty-three percent had chemical burns. There were also patients who got other injuries. For instance, one of the patients lost his teeth because the e-cigarette blew up while he was holding it in his mouth.
In more than half of the cases, the burns were located on the patients’ thighs. However, electronic cigarette explosions caused burns and injuries on their hands and faces too. The marks from the burns will remain with the patients. Some of them were disfigured.
It is not only the teeth of patients that were affected by the electronic cigarette explosions. The doctors who treated them also account for tissue, ligaments and tendons loss.
The experience of an e-cigarette exploding had a powerful impact on victims. They advise other users to be careful while handling the devices. Both the patients and the doctors are trying to raise awareness about the risk of explosion with e-cigarettes.
Health experts also draw the attention of users on how to keep themselves safe. They should carefully store the batteries when they are not using the e-cigarettes. On the other hand, these safety measures don’t completely erase the risk of explosion.
Doctors are aware of the fact that e-cigarettes are widely used and that their popularity is growing among consumers. This is why they expect that more such burn cases will emerge.
On the other hand, authorities at the Food and Drug Administration thought about regulations regarding the commercialization of e-cigarettes. People who sell the devices are not allowed to have customers younger than eighteen years of age.
Another solution which could prevent the risk of explosions is improving the design of electronic cigarettes. This should be one of the main concerns of manufacturers. Now, are you still eager about vaping?
Image courtesy of: Wikipedia
