Vaping-Related Illnesses: What You Need to Know

Vaping refers to inhaling vaporized liquids that often contain nicotine and other chemicals using a device such as an electronic cigarette. Vaping has become a popular alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes. Many users are under the misconception that vaping is a healthier choice than smoking cigarettes. What users may not know is that a single e-cigarette cartridge can contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Vaping devices may also cause potentially life-threatening pulmonary illnesses, according to the latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

New Multistate Outbreak of Mysterious Lung Disease Connected to Vaping

The CDC, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other health departments, is investigating a new outbreak of lung illnesses connected with e-cigarettes and vapes. As of the latest update, the CDC reports 380 confirmed cases across 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Confirmed cases mean the CDC found no signs of unrelated lung infections and established that the patient had used an e-cigarette product or vaporizer recently. The CDC has ruled out other common causes of lung illnesses and associates this recent outbreak with electronic cigarette devices as the primary cause.

Six people have lost their lives in connection with the new vaping-related lung illness. The CDC is continuing a multistate investigation, which involves testing the substances and chemicals found in the specific e-cigarette products the patients used. Many of the affected patients report using e-cigarette devices to vaporize nicotine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, while others vaped nicotine and flavoring alone. The CDC still does not know the exact cause of the pulmonary illness but confirms all 380 patients with symptoms are e-cigarette users.

Symptoms of Vaping Lung Illness

The reported symptoms of the lung illness include trouble breathing, shortness of breath, persistent coughing, chest pain, collapsed lungs, fatigue, fever, weight loss and gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms may appear abruptly or may build slowly over a few weeks. Most cases of this vaping-related illness have cropped up in the last several months, leading many investigators to believe it may be connected to a new additive or substance in e-cigarette cartridges.

So far, most patients have recovered from the lung illness in a few weeks. Some patients require ventilation or intubation, however, to help them breathe while in recovery. Some also need ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygen) to pump blood outside the body so the heart can rest. Patients may also suffer a co-occurring illness, pneumonia, from inhaling vapors. The lung illness can be deadly in its most serious form. The CDC is recommending anyone with possible symptoms of this lung illness to visit a hospital right away.

Other Known Vaping-Related Illnesses

Another documented illness connected to vaping and the use of e-cigarettes is bronchiolitis obliterans, or popcorn lung. E-cigarette cartridges flavored using diacetyl could cause popcorn lung, which is an irreversible lung disease. A Harvard study found diacetyl in more than 75% of flavored e-cigarettes and vape refill liquids. Inhaling diacetyl can cause serious scarring in the air sacs in the lungs. Scar tissue can thicken the air sacs, narrowing the airways and causing issues such as shortness of breath and coughing. No known cure exists for popcorn lung.

Vaping is a relatively recent trend, leading to a significant lack of information about its long-term health effects. Physicians and researchers still do not know what the health impacts of vaping or using e-cigarettes could be over decades of use. However, most experts predict a high probability of health problems according to what they already know about vaping.

The CDC has recommended consumers stop using vaping devices and e-cigarettes altogether, while the FDA has only warned against using products that contain THC. Former President Trump has also pushed for laws that would ban flavored e-cigarettes in light of the recent outbreak of lung illnesses, especially among youth. As researchers continue to uncover more about the serious potential health risks of vaping, consumers may do well to stay away from e-cigarette devices.