Recently, 50 people around the United States have contracted breathing illnesses that are likely linked to e-cigarettes and other vaping products.
Patients have likened their illness that is believed to be caused by vaping, to a heart attack or flu symptoms. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, and vomiting. Doctors compare the illness to an inhalation injury where the boy reacts to a caustic substance being inhaled.
A pediatric lung specialist at NYU Winthrop Hospital, Dr. Melodi Pirzada, said she had seen two cases of the mysterious illness this summer. One case was an 18-year-old athlete who almost died.
Dylan Nelson, a 26-year-old man from Wisconsin, went to see a doctor when he was feeling ill. He has asthma and was diagnosed with pneumonia. After being treated and sent home, Nelson could barely breathe and was readmitted to the hospital and was put on a breathing tube.
He was just recently released, but the illness caused him to sustain heart and lung damage that doctors are not certain will heal.
Known Side Effects of Vaping
Vaping has been marketed as a safe alternative to traditional smoking. Most vapes do have fewer chemicals than traditional cigarettes. However, vaping is connected to heightened risk of seizures, heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and respiratory tract infections.
Learn More About Vaping Risks
For more information on what can be done if you or your child has suffered a serious injury from vaping, contact our office. You may call our office at 800-598-0314 or fill out a contact form. We serve those who have been injured across the United States.