The 7 signs of mysterious vaping lung disease that’s caused 5 deaths in the US – The Sun, Thesun.co.uk

WHEN e-cigarettes were invented they seemed like the solution smokers had waited decades for.

But after the deaths of five people and hundreds more falling ill, people are beginning to question how safe the devices actually are.

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So far, all of the victims from America were struck down by a mysterious lung condition understood to be linked to vaping.

Health officials in the US are now looking into more than 450 other similar cases – most of them otherwise healthy young people in their teens or early 20 s.

They believe THC – the psychoactive agent in marijuana – is present within the vape liquid, which could be contributing to the illness.

No similar incidents have been reported in the UK, but British health experts have raised concerns over the health risks of vaping.

Health investigators in the US say that most of the patients who ended up in hospital had reported similar symptoms, including:

• shortness of breath
• Coughing
• chest pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• fever
• weight loss

A report published inThe New England Journal of Medicinedescribes how 53 patients from Wisconsin and Illinois had developed serious respiratory symptoms after vaping.

Most of the patients were young males – the median age was 19 – and were otherwise considered healthy prior to getting sick.

All of them had vaped within the three months prior – and 84 per cent reported using marijuana Products.

The report suggests that the vaping-related illnesses are a new phenomenon, and not something that went undetected in the past.

Another report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that five young patients in North Carolina were diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia after vaping.

The rare condition is caused by fats and oils entering the lungs which can lead to pneumonia, or an inflammation of the lungs.

Doctors were unable to determine whether the lipids came from an inhaled substance or from inside the body.

Health warning

As a result, officials are now urging vapers to put thee-cigsdown, while an investigation is carried out.

Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles county public health director, told theLA Timeslast week: “Stop vaping now.

“We’re issuing a warning to all residents about the use of these devices as potentially harmful to proper lung function.”

Dr Melodi Pirzada, chief paediatric pulmonologist in Mineola, New York, toldThe New York Timesthe outbreak is “becoming an epidemic … something is very wrong.”

People are also being urged not to buy bootleg products and to stop modifying devices to vape a mixture of substances.

Vaping works by heating chemical-filled liquid and turning it into steam to be inhaled.

The chemicals are mixed with solvents, or oils, which heat up during aerosolization to become vapor.

But some oil droplets can be left over as the liquid cools back down and inhaling those can cause breathing problems and lung inflammation.

Thomas Eissenberg, who studies vaping at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the NY Times: “Inhaling oil into your lungs is extremely dangerous behavior that could result in death.”

Another issue is that many vaping ingredients are not listed on the products.

In some of the cases reported in New York they have found Vitamin E oil to be one of the most common substances associated with sudden and severe respiratory problems, state officials said.

‘False fears’

Health officials, including Public Health England, recommend vaping to smokers trying to quit.

They’re claimed to be up to 95 per cent less harmful than cigarettes.

Public Health England insists that “false fears” over vaping and stopping many smokers from using them.

Regarding the spate of deaths in America, Martin Dockrell, Head of Tobacco Control at PHE, said: “A full investigation is not yet available but we’ve heard reports that most of these cases were linked to people using illicit vaping fluid bought on the streets or homemade, some containing cannabis products, like THC, or synthetic cannabinoids, like Spice.

“Unlike the US, all e-cigarette products in the UK are tightly regulated for quality and safety by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and they operate the Yellow Card Scheme, encouraging vapers to report any bad experiences.

“Our advice remains that e-cigarettes are a fraction of the risk of smoking, and using one makes it much more likely you’ll quit successfully than relying on willpower alone.

“But it’s important to use UK-regulated e-liquids and never risk vaping home-made or illicit e-liquids or adding substances, any of which could be harmful.”

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