Vaping left a young woman with crusty, bloody mouth ulcers that doctors thought were caused by herpes.
The 22-year-old Indonesian woman went to the doctor complaining of sores in and around her mouth that hurt so much she couldn’t eat or drink.
Doctors tested the patient for herpes, but the results were negative.
After questioning her about lifestyle changes, it was revealed that she had started using e-cigarettes about a year before her symptoms appeared.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
The 22-year-old woman had been vaping several times a week for the past year when she developed sores in and around her mouth (file photo).
Doctors were finally able to diagnose him with oral erythema multiforme, a type of skin condition similar to an allergic reaction that is rarely seen in and around the mouth.
The academics, revealing the case in a US medical journal, said it was probably “related to vaping”.
They noted that erythema multiforme can be triggered by certain substances in electronic cigarettes, such as propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, flavorings or other toxins.
Erythema multiforme affects about 200,000 people in the US each year, usually caused by an infection such as herpes or bacterial or fungal infections.
Symptoms include pink and red lesions on the skin and mouth that can sometimes be itchy or painful, as well as joint pain, fever, and itching.
The condition can occur throughout the body and is rarely limited to just the mouth.
Minor cases of the skin condition may go away on their own, while more complicated cases may need treatment with steroids, allergy medications, antiseptics, or antivirals, depending on the root cause.
In extreme cases, hospitalization may be necessary if the patient cannot eat, is in extreme pain, or is severely dehydrated. Doctors may also apply cold compresses and administer antibiotics.
The woman visited doctors at the Department of Oral Medicine at the University of Indonesia complaining of sores and pain in her mouth for the previous month. She had trouble eating due to ulcers and pimples in and around her lips and mouth.
Doctors observed sores on the inside of his cheeks, tongue, palate and floor of his mouth and lips, with scabs and an “erosive” area at the corner of his mouth that was bleeding.
Above are photographs from the patient’s case report showing her condition when she first visited the doctors.
The patient revealed to doctors that she had been using vaping devices for about a year, but had never experienced any problems.
Shortly before her symptoms began, the woman, who had never smoked traditional cigarettes, switched vaping liquids to try another flavor.
He told doctors he started vaping “out of curiosity” and smoked e-cigarettes several times a day every few days with friends.
The patient’s case was considered a “mild” form of erythema multiforme and she was given a steroid mouthwash as well as a solution to moisten a gauze pad and apply to her lips three times a day.
She was also sent home with a cream to apply to the eroded area of the wound on the side of her mouth and told to apply Vaseline to her dry lips throughout the day.
The doctors also insisted that he should stop vaping.
In just one week, the patient showed great improvement.
Vaping has been associated with a number of health side effects, including mouth and throat irritation, eye irritation, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and lung cancer.
It is estimated that nearly 31 million Americans vape or use e-cigarettes, including 2 million middle and high school students.
Advertised as a safer alternative and smoking cessation aid to traditional cigarettes, the vaping industry has been criticized for its marketing aimed at young children and a lack of long-term data on how the devices affect people’s health. .
Vaping is becoming such a public health problem in the United States that the Department of Justice and the FDA this week created a task force to combat the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes and vaping products.
Officials and critics argue that unregulated vaping products are designed and marketed specifically to children with their colorful packaging and fruity or sweet flavors.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said these products “endanger” the health of children and teens across the United States and that the task force will be “dedicated to protecting Americans by combating” their illegal distribution.
Officials added that the group will include multiple government agencies that oversee guns, drugs, the U.S. Postal Service and the Marshals Service to coordinate efforts to investigate and prosecute criminal and civil offenses.