New cases of critical lung diseases have been identified in relation to vaping. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that it confirmed 193 cases of severe lung illnesses, which are most likely connected to vaping.
More so, one of the 193 patients died in Illinois after being hospitalized. Those cases involve patients aged 17 to 38 and were identified and put on a record between June the 28th and August the 20th of this year alone. Although one of the reasons people vape is to stop smoking, which has been labeled as one of the leading causes of death in the world, scientists cannot say for sure what its long-term consequences are.
The CDC has not stated yet whether the patients’ lung illnesses were, in fact, caused by vaping. Researchers have found no common association yet, besides the fact that all those patients vape.
CDC official Ileana Arias said that scientists need more information in order to know what is the leading cause behind these conditions. A few theories are analyzed, including the high probability that the illnesses are triggered by toxic substances, for instance, heavy metals, such as lead or flavorings. The lung illnesses doctors have, however, observed and confirmed a consistency with chemical inhalation and lung injuries.
FDA Center for Tobacco Products director Mitch Zeller stated that the agency is currently testing some products to discover if they contain dangerous substances. The findings will be of help if the conditions are indeed caused by substances found in commercial products, which is more than highly possible.
Another theory is that people are removing the commercial nicotine pods to fill them with concoctions they made, which contain several chemicals, obviously harmful.
The number of cases seems to grow every day, and it has doubled over the last week. All the patients are showing ample, even stable lung injuries needing several days on a ventilator. Before their condition became that critical, patients detailed a progressive start of symptoms such as breathing difficulties, nausea, chest pain, fatigue, and vomiting.
