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Fort Worth, Texas – A teenager from North Texas nearly died of lung failure and doctors attribute his problem to a vaping
This week again, health officials issued a national alert on the dangers of electronic cigarettes. Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas County Health Director, said he knew at least two cases of severe lung disease related to vapor inhalation.
That's why Tryson Zohfeld asked the doctors to share his story. He said that he would never touch an electronic cigarette again and that he wanted to warn others of the dangers. And with the increasing popularity of vaping, doctors expect to see more cases like Zohfeld's.
"It's odorless. It does not smell. You can not hear it. They could do it in their room and you would have no idea, "said Dr. Karen Schultz, pediatric pulmonologist at Cook Children's Hospital.
Aged 17, he spent 18 days at the Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth. Most of the time, he was in the intensive care unit with a tube in his trachea to help him breathe.
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Zohfeld first consulted a doctor with chest pain and shortness of breath. But X-rays showed that his condition was much worse. He had to be put on a respirator for 10 days.
Dr. Schultz and her team were distraught when Zohfeld arrived at Cook Children & # 39; s. He had abdominal pain, was vomiting and had trouble breathing, but the doctors could not understand why, until they found out from a family member that Teenager had completely vaporized.
"The lungs were damaged by the chemicals he inhaled, which caused irritation and inflammation of the lungs and even began to cause scarring in his lungs," said Dr. Schultz.
Doctors think that vaping caused his lungs to fail. He had been vaping since the age of 14. Zohfeld lost 30 pounds and had to relearn how to walk after being bedridden for almost three weeks this summer.
"At one point, we were not sure he was going to succeed," added Dr. Schultz.
With time and physical therapy, the adolescent is recovering now.
And while this is the first case of its kind, Cook Children's doctors have seen in their hospital, but they expect to see more.
"There are a lot of chemicals in these pods that we do not know exactly what kind of damage and what long-term effects that will have on the lungs," Dr. Schultz said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently investigating nearly 100 similar cases of serious pulmonary diseases related to vapor inhalation in 14 states.
Juul is one of the most popular brands of electronic cigarettes. A single clove contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
"It's a new product and we really do not know the long-term effects of these products on health. And that's something we need to identify more problems. They are not allowed to be marketed as healthier products, "said Dr. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas County Health Department.
Huang said it was difficult for health officials to evaluate the health effects of e-cigarettes, as not all are used in the same way. But in some cases, he heard that people used them constantly, almost like a pacifier.
The medical director of Cook Children's Emergency Services said he saw one child a week for any problem with vaping.
And although the medical staff is starting to see the first effects of spraying, doctors say that there is not enough research on the subject.
"Vaping has only been around for a few years. We have no idea of the long-term side effects of these chemicals, "said Dr. Schultz.
Even though vaping is presented as a "safer" alternative to smoking, doctors say it is not the case.
Vaping pods contain more nicotine than cigarettes and create more addiction.
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