Vaping has several extremely compelling benefits compared to smoking. It’s cheaper, and most experts agree that it’s less risky from a health standpoint. One of the biggest reasons why so many smokers have switched to vaping, though, is because it’s simply more enjoyable than smoking. There’s no way for a cigarette to taste like anything other than a cigarette – but vape juice can taste like just about anything you can possibly imagine.

After learning about the benefits of vaping, did you jump online, search for “vape shops near me” and come home with a shiny new device? If your first experience wasn’t completely pleasurable and satisfying, that’s definitely not normal. If your vape burns your throat, try not to panic because it’s a fixable problem – and in this article, we’re going to help you fix it.

So, why does your vape burn your throat? There are six common reasons why that might happen. Reading this article, you’re going to learn what those six reasons are and what you can do about them.

Your Device Is Out of E-Liquid
The most common reason why you might experience an irritating or burning sensation when you vape is because your device is out of e-liquid. That’s particularly likely to happen with a disposable vape because a disposable device doesn’t give you a way to see your e-liquid supply – all that you can do is use the device until it stops working and replace it.

A disposable vape stops working in two ways. It can start blinking – which indicates that the battery is dead – or it can produce a burnt flavor, which indicates that it’s out of e-liquid. In either case, it’s time for a new device.

If you use a pod-based vaping device, on the other hand, you can always look at the window to see how much e-liquid is left. If you see no e-liquid in the pod, you should replace or refill the pod.

Your Device’s Wick Is Drying Out
Is your vape only burning your throat intermittently – and are you sure that there’s still plenty of vape juice left? In that case, it’s likely that you’re vaping at too quick a pace. Members of the vaping community call this “chain vaping.”

To prevent an intermittent throat-burning sensation when you vape, it’s helpful to understand how a vaping device works. Inside your device, a wick delivers e-liquid to a heating coil. The e-liquid is then vaporized, leaving the coil temporarily dry. If you vape again before the coil refreshes itself, you’ll experience a harsh “dry hit.” To prevent that from happening, all that you need to do is wait a few seconds after each puff.

Note that if you have a vaping device with variable wattage, it’s possible to set your device to a wattage that the connected tank or pod can’t actually support. If a vaping device with adjustable power causes your throat to feel irritated or burnt, the first thing that you should do is lower the power level.

You Didn’t Fill Your Device Properly
As you’ve probably surmised from reading this article so far, the most common reason why your vape would burn your throat is because its wick is dry. When there’s no e-liquid in the wick to keep the coil cool, the coil overheats and begins to emit noxious fumes. Usually, this happens because you’re vaping too aggressively or because your device is out of e-liquid. However, it can also happen if you use a device too soon after filling a new pod for the first time or filling a tank after replacing the coil. When you use a new pod or coil for the first time, you should always wait several minutes before vaping. That way, you can ensure that the wick is completely wet.

If you experience a burnt flavor after filling a new pod or replacing your coil – and the burnt flavor persists after waiting for the wick to become saturated – it’s likely that the wick is permanently singed. Cotton burns easily if it’s dry, and there’s no solution in this situation except to replace the pod or coil.

Your Nicotine Strength Is Too High
You should also consider the nicotine strength of your e-liquid if your vape burns your throat. With the smallest vaping devices such as disposable vapes and most pod systems, it’s usually best to use the highest nicotine strength available. If you feel an overwhelming sensation in your throat when vaping, though, you should try switching to a lower nicotine strength.

• For small disposable vapes and pod systems, the most popular nicotine strengths are 20 mg/ml and higher.

• For large vape mods, the most popular nicotine strength is 3 mg/ml.
You Aren’t Using the Right E-Liquid Flavor

If you’re certain that the nicotine strength you’re using is the right one for your needs, it’s possible that you’re not using the right flavor for your personal taste or that you’re sensitive to a particular flavor component in your vape juice. In this case, it could be helpful to try some different flavors. There is no single best e-liquid flavor for everyone.

You’re Allergic or Sensitive to Propylene Glycol
The last reason why you might experience throat irritation when vaping is the rarest of them all, but it does occur occasionally – you could be allergic or sensitive to propylene glycol, one of the primary ingredients of e-liquid. Some of the most common symptoms of propylene glycol allergies include itching, swelling and skin irritation. Along with throat irritation, you may also experience symptoms in and around your mouth.

Before you become too alarmed about the possibility of a propylene glycol allergy, it’s important to note that you’re unlikely to discover a previously unknown allergy through vaping because of the large number of everyday products that include this ingredient. Some of the products that commonly include propylene glycol include deodorants, air fresheners, eyedrops, medications, cosmetics and some shelf-stable foods.

If you’ve tried all of the other suggestions in this article and have been unable to alleviate your throat irritation when vaping, you might want to consider switching to an e-liquid without propylene glycol. Look for a 100-percent vegetable glycerin e-liquid to use as an alternative.