Latest news with #CloeyEyes
The Sun
a day ago
- Health
- The Sun
I feared sharp chest pains at 25 were a heart attack – it was ‘popcorn lung' after vaping left ‘OIL filling my organs'
HAVING switched from smoking to vaping two years ago, Cloey Eyes thought she was avoiding the smell of smoke she hated so much, as well as opting for a healthier alternative. But when she woke up with sharp chest pains one morning and feared the worst - that she was having a heart attack and was going to die - she claims doctors discovered a sinister side effect of using e-cigarettes. 5 5 Cloey made the switch to vaping in August 2023 after smoking cigarettes for three years, mainly over her dislike of the smell. But when the mum-of-five woke up with "sharp" pains in her chest on July 12 this year, she called an ambulance as she feared she was having a heart attack. The 25-year-old was rushed to hospital in Ocala, Florida, where she was hooked up to oxygen and a heart monitor. But after undergoing tests, she was told she had "popcorn lung"-type injuries and claims doctors discovered an oily substance had been found building up in her lungs. Vaping has been known to lead to lipoid pneumonia, in which oily substances inhaled during vaping lead to a build-up in the lungs, causing inflammation and damage. The stay-at-home mum is now raising awareness about her vaping experience and is urging others to stop smoking them before it's too late. Cloey says: "I woke up at 2:30am in the morning and my chest felt like it was having a heart attack. "I had really bad pains in my chest and had to lean over. I couldn't catch my breath, and I had to hit myself in the chest multiple times to be able to catch my breath. "I was terrified at the pain, and I felt like I was going to die as I was scared I was going to not be able to breathe at all. "It was a sharp pain in my chest, but it also was a suffocating feeling. Teen told he was coughing up 'pints' of blood due to a stomach ulcer caused by kebabs - 'excessive vaping' was to blame "The ambulance came and got me, and I was taken to hospital, and they said my left lung had an oil pocket in it. "Around both my lungs was oil. It was scary to hear this. It's the oil from the vape, and this is thickening up as you hit it [the vape] and attaching itself to your lungs. "I technically at that point had popcorn lung. That's what they call it here." 'Non-stop' vaping Cloey said she would go through one 5000-puff disposable vape every two weeks and would use it "non-stop" due to the convenience. After staying overnight in hospital, she was discharged and prescribed antibiotics, an inhaler and cough suppressant medication. Cloey claims it will take a year for her lungs to heal completely and is now raising awareness to others about the dangers of vaping. As a person I would tell people to put the vape down, especially if you're a parent. You don't think it's going to happen to you. I didn't think it would Cloey Eyes She said: "I would smoke the vape every day non-stop. I used the vape more than when I smoked, as it was handy and right there. "I would never pick up a vape again, especially because I'm a mum. I went cold turkey and quit vaping. "I'm not struggling with it at all, as what happened to me scared me, and I don't want to do it anymore. "I feel 10 times better now as I have stopped completely. My lungs feel better, and I don't feel out of breath all the time. "As a person, I would tell people to put the vape down, especially if you're a parent. You don't think it's going to happen to you. I didn't think it would. "Even if you don't go through the pain, the amount of chemicals going through your lungs is probably knocking about 10 years off your life. "I turned 25 last Saturday and to think I could have lost my life from vaping is just not worth it." 5 5 What is 'popcorn lung'? Popcorn lung, also known as bronchiolitis obliterans, is a rare and severe lung disease caused by a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs, which then blocks the flow of air. The condition is caused by inhaling certain chemicals, like diacetyl - an organic compound which occurs naturally in alcoholic beverages and some cheeses and is added as a flavouring to some foods to impart its buttery flavour. Around the year 2000, a group of popcorn factory workers in the USA developed the condition, which led to the name 'popcorn lung'. Diacetyl was used as a flavouring in the popcorn, which meant workers were breathing in the chemical. Other common causes of bronchiolitis obliterans include infections, such as RSV and the flu, breathing in toxic chemicals like sulfur mustard gas, and autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Popcorn lung and vaping There haven't been any confirmed cases of popcorn lung linked to vaping. But people have connected the two because some of the liquids in e-cigarettes used to contain diacetyl. In the UK, diacetyl was banned in e-cigarettes and e-liquids under the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in 2016. Another condition that's been linked to vaping and oil build-up in the lungs is lipoid pneumonia. As vaping involves heating e-liquids, which often contain oils, into an aerosol that is then inhaled, these oily substances can deposit in the lungs' air sacs (alveoli), leading to an inflammatory reaction and potentially lipoid pneumonia. Diagnosing vaping-associated lipoid pneumonia can be challenging due to overlapping symptoms with other lung conditions. But signs to look out for include a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fever. IS VAPING HARMFUL? WHILE vaping is generally considered less harmful than smoking cigarettes, it's not completely harmless and its long-term effects are still being studied. Vaping products generally contain fewer toxic chemicals than cigarette smoke, as they don't involve the combustion of tobacco. They may also expose users to fewer cancer-causing substances compared to smoking. But vaping delivers nicotine, which is addictive, and the long-term effects of this on the body are still being researched. And there have been reports of lung irritation and respiratory problems, including lung damage. Cancer Research UK advises: "There is no good evidence that vaping causes cancer. "But e-cigarettes are not risk-free. They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick. These side effects tend to reduce over time with continued use. "We don't know yet what effects they might have in the long term. "E-cigarettes should only be used to help you stop smoking, or to stop you going back to tobacco. "Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive. "If you have never smoked, you shouldn't use e-cigarettes."
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors thought young mom was having a heart attack... her lungs were actually filling with vape oil
A young mother who feared she was having a heart attack actually had lungs that were filling with fluid from her vape. Cloey Eyes, 25, from Ocala, Florida, had been vaping nonstop for two years. She became addicted to the devices when she used them to quit smoking cigarettes. The mother-of-five knew the vapes weren't the best for her lungs, but she kept puffing, believing they were a better option than her previous vice. In July, however, she woke up in the middle of the night with 'sharp pains' in her chest, gasping for air as she struggled to breathe. 'I was terrified at the pain and I felt like I was going to die as I was scared I was going to not be able to breathe at all,' she said. Eyes rushed to the emergency department, where scans quickly revealed she had bronchiolitis obliterans, better known as 'popcorn lung'. The condition is a rare type of lung disease, triggered by inflammation in bronchioles, the smallest airways in the lungs, which become scarred. Doctors also found an oily substance building up in Eyes' lungs, which they said was the fluid she had breathed in from puffing on her vape. 'I woke up at 2:30am in the morning and my chest felt like it was having a heart attack,' Eyes said. 'I had really bad pains in my chest and had to lean over. I couldn't catch my breath and I had to hit myself in the chest multiple times to be able to catch my breath. 'It was a sharp pain in my chest, but it also was a suffocating feeling.' She said scans initially detected an 'oil pocket' in her left lung, before the same was also found in her right. Doctors found that both lungs also had vape oil around them, though they weren't able to tell how much had collected in her body. 'It was scary to hear this,' she said. 'It's the oil from the vape and this is thickening up as you [breathe it in] and attaching itself to your lungs'. In rare instances, vapes have been linked to lipoid pneumonia, a condition where oily substances inhaled while puffing on e-cigarettes build up in the lungs causing inflammation and damage. Patients normally suffer from a chronic cough, shortness of breath and coughing up blood or blood-tinged mucus. Physicians say there is no good treatment for the condition. In cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, steroids and an inhaler can reduce inflammation and help with breathing - in severe cases, a lung transplant may be required. Those with the condition require life-long care to manage their symptoms and are advised to avoid air pollution, cigarette smoke, and people who are ill and could pass on infections. 'There isn't a good treatment for lipoid pneumonia, other than supportive care, while the lungs heal on their own,' Dr Stephen Broderick, a lung cancer surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, previously said. 'The single most important thing you can do is identify what is causing it - in this case vaping - and eliminate it.' Eyes revealed she would use rechargeable disposable vapes, throwing them away when they 'ran out of juice'. She would puff on the device more than 300 times a day, and get through a 5,000-puff device every two weeks. Although she would pick a different flavor every time, she said she would always opt for fruity varieties. She started smoking cigarettes in 2020 shortly before the Covid pandemic, but quit in August 2023 because she 'hated the smell'. That's when she started using vapes instead. 'I used the vape more than when I smoked as it was handy and right there,' she said of her addiction. 'When I was smoking, the pack [20 cigarettes] would last me four days, so I would smoke around five cigarettes a day. 'I knew vaping wasn't any better than smoking, I just hated the smell of the smoke [from cigarettes] and needed to stop.' Eyes' condition was severe, and she had to stay overnight at the hospital before she was prescribed antibiotics, an inhaler and cough suppressant medications. The mom claimed doctors said it would take her lungs at least a year to heal completely. Popcorn lung is linked to diacetyl, a chemical compound found in some vapes and used to make different flavors for the devices. This is breathed in and causes inflammation. Warning signs of the condition include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, tiredness and night sweats. Several vapers have now come forward to reveal they were diagnosed with popcorn lung after using the devices, although it is not clear how many cases have been linked to the devices nationwide. In some cases, vapes have also been linked to heart attacks caused by the devices triggering inflammation in the blood and raising blood pressure. Eyes has now quit vaping, and says she would 'never pick up a vape again'. 'I went cold turkey and quit vaping,' she said. 'I feel 10 times better now as I have stopped completely. My lungs feel better and I don't feel out of breath all the time... 'I would tell people to put the vape down, especially if you're a parent. You don't think it's going to happen to you. I didn't think it would [happen to me]. 'Even if you don't go through the pain, the amount of chemicals going through your lungs is probably knocking about 10 years off your life. 'I turned 25 last Saturday, and to think I could have lost my life from vaping is just not worth it.' About one in 20 Americans vape, statistics suggest. The habit is much more common among those between 21 to 24 years old - 15.5 percent of the age group uses the devices. Many become addicted and describe using them almost constantly during the day, which may raise the risks of serious complications.
