Vaping Your Life Away -- 215 New Cases of Lung Injury This Summer!

At least 215 cases of severe and mysterious lung illnesses associated with vaping have been identified this summer in the United States. One such case is a 20-year-old man from Utah who vaped every day and almost died from a life-threatening lung injury -- and 'vape juice' may be the cause. An 18-year old woman was forced into a medically-induced coma due to vaping. Her symptoms included severe fever, nausea, body aches, appetite loss, and chest pain -- and she had fat particles growing inside of her lungs that were related to the glycerin in vape juice. Both of these people have said that they'll never vape again. It's suspected that the flavor oils may be causing serious lung issues.

The man from Utah had a case of lipoid pneumonia (a condition caused by fat or oil in the lungs), which quickly escalated into acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life-threatening condition that put him on life support. Health experts suspect that his daily vaping habit may have been at fault, and today he has a 25 percent diminished lung capacity. At least 215 similar lung issues have been reported across 25 U.S. states this summer, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) -- all associated with e-cigarette use. One Illinois man died after vaping in August, and the Illinois Department of Public Health says at least 21 others (ranging from age 17 to 38) are having breathing issues in that state.

Health experts don't fully understand why this is happening, but the CDC says that some of the ingredients in aerosols created by vaping may do long-term damage to the lungs. The Food and Drug Administration has received 80 vape samples for testing. Already, health experts are finding some of the first clues that fat deposits from vaping oil could be part of the problem.

In 2018, a 34-year-old British woman who'd been vaping for three years developed lipoid pneumonia and respiratory failure, similar to the man in Utah. The case suggested that vegetable glycerine in e-cigarettes may be to blame. On its website, the CDC states: "Some e-cigarette flavorings may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the gut can process more substances than the lungs."

An overwhelming majority of young people who vape (81%) say tasty vape juice flavors are a primary reason they use e-cigarettes. According to the US Department of Health and Human services, vapes may contain chemicals like acrolein, which they say can cause irreversible lung damage. However, because the devices are not FDA regulated, all of the chemicals found in vape juice may not necessarily be listed on the packaging.

I've written on this topic before (Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes: Inhaling The Dangerous Facts in September 2016, and E-cigarettes (Vaping) May Contribute to Inflammatory Lung Disease in October 2017). I have a feeling that this won't be my last blog writing about it.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

E-cigarettes (Vaping) May Contribute to Inflammatory Lung Disease

In September 2016, I wrote a blog post titled "Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes: Inhaling The Dangerous Facts." This week I read that a new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that e-cigarette use can trigger immune responses in the lung that can contribute to inflammatory lung disease. The research was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Globally, e-cigarette use is soaring -- especially with young people. In 2016 the US Surgeon General identified a 900 percent increase in e-cigarette use in high school students from 2011 to 2015. While e-cigarette vapor doesn't contain the same kinds of carcinogenic compounds as regular cigarette smoke, there is a growing body of research to suggest "vaping" may have its own set of harmful effects.

The study examined 44 sputum samples from e-cigarette users, current cigarette smokers, and non-smokers. Amongst e-cigarette users, a significant increase in neutrophil granulocyte- and neutrophil-extracellular-trap (NET)-related proteins was identified. The study notes that while neutrophils are useful in combating pathogens they also are known to contribute to lung diseases such as COPD and cystic fibrosis. The study also identified similar increases in specific biomarkers associated with lung disease between e-cigarette and cigarette users. An increase in mucin 5AC, a mucus secretion associated with chronic bronchitis and asthma, was also found in both e-cigarette and cigarette users.

Dr. Mehmet Kesimer, senior author of the study, has said: "Comparing the harm of e-cigarettes with cigarettes is a little like comparing apples to oranges. Our data shows that e-cigarettes have a signature of harm in the lung that is both similar and unique, which challenges the concept that switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes is a healthier alternative."

It's becoming more clear that there are adverse effects of e-cigarettes. While they most likely don't cause the same kind of harm as cigarettes, it may indeed be a misnomer to believe that they are a "healthy" alternative. The only truly healthy alternative to cigarette smoking is to simply not smoke at all.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past