Recently, the tide has begun to turn against e-cigarettes. Not only have users suffered severe injuries from the vape pens exploding, but now there are reports of severe illness and even deaths that have possibly resulted from vaping. By mid-August, the CDC had nearly 100 reports of severe lung illnesses that have been alleged to have resulted from e-cigarettes. This number continues to grow by the day as new illnesses are reported.
It is known that at least 100 people have suffered from severe injury, but there is some dispute as to what has caused these illnesses. While there is no dispute that the injury resulted from vaping, the disagreement surrounds what substance the affected vaper was using. Some have claimed that the severe injuries are consistent with symptoms resulting from the use of THC. These people argue that the severity of the injuries make it unlikely that it could result from the substance in the nicotine pods alone. Others argue that e-cigarettes are to blame for these injuries.
There is no disputing the severity of these injuries. The lung illnesses likely have come from the consumption of a toxic chemical. The chemical has caused a severe inflammatory response. In general, toxic chemicals can cause a variety of different acute conditions that impact the lungs.
Some of the symptoms of this mystery vaping illness are chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and fever. These symptoms can become severe and acute in a short period of time. Oftentimes, it takes some time to diagnose the illness because users either go into a coma before they can relay their symptoms or they are trying to hide the fact that they have been vaping.
Regardless of the exact cause, it is likely that the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes is at least a contributing factor to the mysterious lung ailments. Although e-cigarettes have been marketed as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes, they contain an extremely high amount of nicotine. Each pod containing e-cigarette liquid contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. Many teens who vape use substantially more than one pod of nicotine each day, resulting in an extremely high amount of nicotine consumption on a daily basis. This, combined with the fact that their lungs are still developing, is a recipe for extreme lung damage.
Another factor that could lead to the conclusion that e-cigarettes are to blame is that there is not one homogenous form of e-cigarettes. Different makers have different compositions of their product. There is the possibility that one chemical could be causing severe injury to users. In addition, many teens will add substances to their liquid or try to doctor it in some way. The foreign substance may be responsible for the critical illnesses.
One possible reason that e-cigarettes could be reponsible for these illnesses is that the nicotine reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. This ultimately impacts the lungs because reduced oxygen makes the lungs work harder in order to be able to breathe. This also damages and inflames the lung tissue.
The health effects of e-cigarettes are still being discovered since they are a newer product that was never fully tested before the manufacturers were permitted to sell them to the public. E-cigarettes have not gone through the full FDA approval process. Ordinarily, this helps detect and illuminate some of the health risks of a particular product. However, when it comes to vaping, there is still much that is unknown and still to be learned. For users of these products, the profound dangers are now becoming apparent.
Teenage users are more susceptible to developing critical vaping-related illnesses because their lungs are still developing. When these users get hooked on the product at a young age, it magnifies the effect because the lungs’ growth and maturity is hampered by vaping. Teenage vapers are already prone to suffering from seizures because vaping has already been shown to cause seizures and negatively impact brain development. While most of those who have taken ill are on the younger side, adults have also suffered from the mystery vaping illness.
While many users have given up vaping and the government is taking steps to restrict it, there are still millions of users who have taken these chemicals into their lungs. As a result, there are countless users who may develop complications from usage of e-cigarettes. In addition to the risks of vape pen explosion, it is now established that vaping can kill in several different ways.
Vape pen explosion and vaping illness attorneys can help those who have suffered obtain some sort of compensation for their illness. Vaping was marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, which we are now discovering is completely false. There are numerous lawsuits that have been filed against e-cigarette manufacturers and more court cases are certainly on the way after the recent outbreak of critical vaping illnesses and deaths. The e-cigarette manufacturers have put a product out there in the marketplace with the potential to kill users, and lawyers are now attempting to hold them accountable. If you have been harmed by vaping, contact The Law Offices of Sadaka Associates today for a free evaluation of your case.
