Gym fanatic Paul Cowling initially dismissed a sudden pain in his chest while “continuously vaping” at his desk as a simple case of “trapped wind”.
However, the 32-year-old was later forced to drag himself to A&E in agony as the real culprit was a collapsed lung brought on by frequent use of the devices.
The IT consultant later learned that his vaping habit had worn away the outer layer of his lung, causing a bubble to form on the outside that then burst, causing the organ to deflate like a balloon.
Cowling, who was previously fit and active and went to the gym two to three times a week, said he became a social smoker in 2015 but started vaping in 2019.
Being able to work from home made it easy for this avid hiker to go through four or five disposable vapes per week since he could simply vape at his desk during the workday.
Gym fanatic Paul Cowling initially dismissed a sudden chest pain while “chain vaping” at his desk as a simple case of “trapped wind”.
However, the 32-year-old was later forced to crawl in agony to A&E as the real culprit was a collapsed lung brought on by frequent use of the devices.
“I found out over time that vaping is much easier, especially when you’re stressed. If you have a cigarette, you go outside to take a break and smoke. With vaping, you can sit down and chain-vape and still smoke. I was going through four or five disposable vapes in a seven-day week,” he told the BBC. Mirror.
Now on the road to recovery, Mr Cowling said he is speaking out about his experience to warn others about the dangers of vaping.
His ordeal began when, like any other work day, Mr Cowling was vaping at his desk when he felt a sudden, sharp pain on his right side.
Blaming it on a flatulence problem, she began taking over-the-counter remedies to treat the mild ailment.
But when he began to struggle to breathe, he sought help from his GP, who, after an examination, told Mr Cowling he most likely had a collapsed lung and needed to go to A&E immediately.
Upon entering the emergency department at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Greater Manchester, Mr Cowling was forced to crawl due to the excruciating pain he felt.
An X-ray showed that the GP’s suspicion was correct: his right lung had collapsed.
Doctors attempted to re-inflate the lung by inserting a small tube into his chest that would pump air into the organ, but unfortunately this was unsuccessful.
Instead, Mr Cowling had to undergo major surgery to try to save the organ.
Fortunately, this was successful as doctors used a special type of medical powder to glue the lung back to the rib cage, giving it enough support to re-inflate.
Cowling, who was previously fit and active and went to the gym two to three times a week, said he became a social smoker in 2015 but started vaping in 2019.
Doctors have told the avid hiker there is a 30 percent chance of a similar incident happening again to his lungs due to the degree of wear and tear on the organs.
Surgeons also removed the exploded air sac from the outside of the lung.
Cowling explained: “With the damage that tobacco and vaping cause, the walls of the lungs become thinner and air pockets form outside the lung. The moment I inhaled the vape, one of those bubbles burst and collapsed my lung and because it was so sudden, it took a blood vessel with it.”
However, doctors have told him there is a 30 percent chance of a similar incident happening again in his lungs due to the degree of wear and tear on his organs.
Mr Cowling has now vowed never to touch an e-cigarette again.
“This has put me off vaping for life. I haven’t touched one since and the surgeon gave me a very stern warning. I was very upset and emotional just thinking about what he had done to me. The doctor told me I had the lungs of a chain smoker and I was very shocked to hear that. Before this happened to me, I was a very active and healthy person. I used to love hiking and now I can’t do that,” he said.
Despite NHS officials insisting it is safer than smoking, vaping is not without risks. E-cigarettes contain harmful toxins and their long-term effects remain a mystery.
Experts are concerned that high nicotine content may raise blood pressure and cause other heart problems.
Doctors have expressed fears that there could be a wave of lung diseases, dental problems and even cancer in the coming decades in people who picked up the habit at a young age.
In April, a shocking study warned that e-cigarettes may increase the risk of heart failure.
Another suggestion is that vaping triggers cellular changes that may lead to cancer.
Earlier this year, MailOnline also revealed that the number of adverse side effects linked to vaping reported to UK regulators has surpassed 1,000, five of them fatal.
E-cigarettes and vaporizers allow people to inhale nicotine in the form of vapor, which is produced by heating a liquid, which usually contains propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings and other chemicals.
Unlike traditional cigarettes, they do not contain tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon, two of the most dangerous elements.
Although vaping is widely considered to be safer than smoking, the long-term effects of vaping remain a mystery.
Doctors have expressed fears that there could be a wave of lung diseases, dental problems and even cancer in the coming decades in people who picked up the habit at a young age.
Last year, leading pediatricians also warned that children were being hospitalized with vaping-induced breathing difficulties, amid a “worrying” vaping epidemic among young people.
NHS figures show a rise in the number of children admitted to hospital due to vaping.
Forty children and young people were admitted to hospitals in England last year due to “vaping-related disorders”, which could include lung damage or worsening asthma symptoms, compared with 11 two years earlier, the NHS said.
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