A mother claims vaping gave her a fatal respiratory infection that caused her lungs to become “fried” and look like the organs of an 80-year-old.
Hannah Roth from newport, Tennessee said the first sign that something was wrong was a “popping” sound when he inhaled, which developed after four years of daily vaping.
Ms Roth had never smoked before, but took up vaping as a “bad habit” due to the stress of the pandemic lockdown and was soon smoking her device “all hours of the day”.
The 30-year-old woman developed a fever of 104°F (40°C) last month which, along with a “popping” sound, caused her to seek medical help.
The mother of two was horrified when doctors finally discovered she had pneumonia, which they said was caused specifically by vaping.
Hannah Roth, of Newport, Tennessee, had never smoked before, but adopted vaping as a “bad habit” due to the stress of the pandemic lockdown and soon began vaping “all hours of the day.”
Pneumonia can arise as a result of inhaling oily substances found in vape e-liquid, triggering an inflammatory response in the lungs.
Scans revealed that his lungs resembled the organs of someone in their 80s or a patient who had smoked for a decade.
The receptionist said the doctor threw her menthol vaporizer in the trash and warned her she would “die” if she continued the habit.
Ms Roth said: “The doctor told me that if I continued using the vaporizers I couldn’t breathe.
‘It was quite scary as a mother. He knew that he couldn’t go back to vaping because I have two children to take care of.”
The 30-year-old woman began hearing a “pop” in her lungs last month when breathing and developed a fever of 104°F (40°C).
The doctor informed Mrs. Roth that her lungs looked like those of “someone much older,” or those of a person who has smoked for a decade.
“I was really angry at myself because I had no idea that vaping could do that.
“The doctor told me ‘every time you smoke that vapor, that vapor goes into your lungs and it’s like frying hot chicken in there.’ The intensity of it was frying my lungs.
“That’s why he made a clicking sound when he breathed.”
Ms. Roth was initially misdiagnosed with the flu.
But a week later, he went to the hospital emergency department in Scott County and doctors discovered he had pneumonia, an infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs.
Ms Roth said: “I started vaping during the Covid pandemic. The stress of being stuck at home led me to pick up a bad habit one night. I simply became addicted.
The mother-of-two was horrified when doctors revealed she had pneumonia caused specifically by vaping, as she had no idea it was a possible side effect.
The doctors told him: “It looks like a tree with branches, it’s called a ‘budding tree’ and it’s basically the deterioration of your lung.”
‘Last month I got sick. I was at work and I started getting chills and didn’t really feel well.
‘I thought I might have bronchitis because my chest hurt so much. That lasted a few days and then I went to the doctors and they told me I had the flu and gave me medicine.’
But Mrs. Roth’s symptoms did not improve and she returned to the hospital with her mother.
‘(That’s when) they came back and said he had an obstruction in his right lung. They said it was pneumonia.
‘It looks like a tree with branches, it’s called a ‘budding tree’ and it’s basically the deterioration of your lung.
“This isn’t supposed to happen unless you’re a chain smoker.”
Now Roth has vowed to stay away from vaping so she can care for her seven- and 10-year-old children and hopes to warn others to stop.
Ms Roth said: “I have been vaping-free since I went to hospital and my lungs no longer make the popping sound.”
“The doctor said that if I stop vaping, my lungs will be able to heal as long as I don’t vape again.”
He still craves vaping, but tries chewing gum instead.
‘My advice would be to simply don’t vape, don’t pick it up and consume it. Even if you think you have control over it, sometimes you just don’t.’