Anyone who has smoked cannabis has probably experienced a coughing fit at one point or another. Coughing is the body’s go-to response whenever it inhales the smoke. Read on to learn why smoking weed makes you cough and how to reduce your cough when smoking weed.
Why Does One Cough After Smoking Weed?
The throat and lungs inside the human body are lined with sensory nerves whose job is to detect the presence of irritating substances. Whenever a person inhales an irritant, the sensory nerves transmit a signal to the entire respiratory tract. The signal results in a cough reflex intended to eliminate the irritants. This cough reflex aims to help protect the respiratory tract and the lungs. So, what can cause a person to cough on taking a hit?
I. Smoke
As mentioned above, smoke is the leading reason for coughing when smoking weed. Although cannabis use hasn’t been directly linked to lung cancer, its smoke does contain irritants that trigger a cough response. Continued weed use can lead to cough-inducing inflammation and increased mucus levels. Increased mucus production ultimately stimulates the cough as the body attempts to eliminate the irritants.
II. Irritant Products
Smoking poor-quality or counterfeit cannabis concentrates and other products will definitely cause a person to cough.
Soil particles, residual pesticides, mildew, and all other random particles that may have hitched a ride on the flower will make the smoker’s experience downright awful.
III. Hit Size
Big-bodied smokers are probably better positioned to take much larger hits. On the other hand, small-bodied individuals may want to consider taking hits that are in line with their physique.
All individuals have varying lung capacities. Therefore, filling the body with more smoke than it can handle will lead to excess coughing. Bong and dab rig users are at a greater risk of taking a hit that’s bigger than their natural build.
IV. Heat
Excessive heat may also lead to coughing fits regardless of the smokers’ preferred method of enjoying their cannabis. For example, when you heat a high-temperature dab or take fire to a bowl, you’re heating your weed to around 537.8°c. Even though the water inside the bubbler, bong, or dab rig will help cool the vapor down, there’s still a chance that the user is inhaling something extremely hot into their lungs. The heat can easily irritate the sensitive tissues in their throats and lungs. Irritation in this area, in return, leads to prolonged coughing.
How to Not Cough (or Cough Less) When Smoking Weed
Many beginners and experienced weed smokers agree that coughing is the least enjoyable part of smoking cannabis. However, the following tips should help reduce the coughing fits when engaging in a smoke session.
1. Always Keep Liquid Beverages Close by When Smoking Cannabis
When smoking, it’s advisable to ensure you have a liquid close by whenever engaging in a smoke session. The preferred drink is a glass of water, NOT an alcoholic beverage.
Take a drink from it before the smoke session, during, and immediately after. Veteran users can also chew gum or suck on boiled candy to help increase saliva production. Proper hydration assists in reducing the impact of the coughing symptoms, particularly among heavy smokers.
2. Stick to Edibles
Although many weed users believe that smoking weed often leads to a faster-acting high, the truth is that smoking isn’t the only way to use this herb. Edibles can provide a good workaround for those who don’t mind waiting for the high and who would rather not deal with the effects of a coughing fit.
3. Try Using a Vaporizer
Vaporizers are excellent cannabis smoking accessories. The best part is that these accessories don’t require the user to combust any product. Weed vapes work by heating the cannabis to a point where it produces a thick cloud of THC vapor without combusting. Using a vaporizer means not worrying about dealing with any hot or rough smoke. Also, vaping doesn’t waste a lot of product compared to smoking.
4. Stop Holding It
Some smokers believe that holding in the weed smoke after inhalation helps give it extra time to work. This is a common misconception. The body begins absorbing the cannabinoids as soon as smoke is inhaled. As such, holding in smoke doesn’t produce an extra high but only leads to lightheadedness and dizziness.
