We already know that vaping can be as harmful to your health — in many ways — as smoking cigarettes. Now, a recent hospital case has revealed an entirely new risk associated with e-cigs: “wet lung,” an allergic reaction to inhaled dust, fungus, molds, or chemicals that causes lungs to become inflamed.
An 18-year-old developed the condition — formally known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis — after vaping for about only three weeks, according to a case study published in the medical journal Pediatrics.
The Pennsylvania waitress went to the emergency room at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center after coming down with a range of scary symptoms, including coughing, difficulty breathing, and stabbing chest pains, which she felt every time she inhaled and exhaled, CNN reported. Her condition quickly worsened, and she developed respiratory failure while in the hospital.
“She was unable to get enough oxygen into her blood from her lungs and required a mechanical ventilator (respirator) to breathe for her until her lungs recovered,” Dr. Daniel Weiner, one of her doctors, a medical director at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and a co-author of the report, told CNN. The patient (whose name was not revealed) was first tested for an infection, and only after that came back negative did the doctors diagnose her with “wet lung.”
Dr. Casey Sommerfeld, another of the patient’s doctors and the lead author of the study, attributed the diagnosis to her use of e-cigarettes. Her inhalation of the chemicals they contain, such as nicotine, flavorings, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin, caused an immune response in her body that led to "leaky" blood vessels, which can lead to fluid accumulation in the lungs, Sommerfeld told CNN.
The woman’s health ultimately improved, but only after she was given antibiotics, put on a ventilator, and had the fluid drained from her lungs via tubes inserted on the sides of her chest. But her story certainly serves as a warning to others who have taken up or are considering taking up vaping. While the case study noted this was the first reported case of “wet lung” in a teenager that was linked to e-cigarette use, it seems very possible more cases will pop up moving forward. "It is difficult to speculate on how frequently this could happen; however, there are a few case reports involving adults that developed respiratory distress following electronic cigarette use," Sommerfeld told CNN. "As electronic cigarette use increases, we will be seeing more case reports and side effects."
And health disorders aren’t the only danger of vaping: Earlier this month, a 38-year-old man, Tallmadge D’Elia, was killed when his vape pen exploded, sending pieces into his head, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The local medical examiner reported that the explosion caused burns on roughly 80% of Tallmadge’s body, but the official cause of death was “projectile wound of the head,” which penetrated his skull and brain.