[ad_1]
The doctors told a hospitalized teenager last month after using electronic cigarettes for more than a year and a half that his lungs seemed similar to those of a 70 year old man and that they could do not recover completely, according to several reports.
>> Read more new trends
Adam Hergenreder, 18, began to run out of breath at the age of 16, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Gurnee, Illinois, teenager was hospitalized late last month after suffering from a mysterious vaping-related lung disease, similar to the one that caused at least six deaths in the country, reported CNN . According to the information network, he used nicotine and THC.
The doctors told Hergenreder that a chest x-ray had shown that the lungs had been damaged to the point of no longer being identical, according to the Tribune.
"I'm 18," Hergenreder told CBS News. "My lungs are like those of 70 years old."
The Tribune reported that Hergenreder was unable to breathe without the aid of oxygen pumped through tubes attached to his nose. He told CNN that he also had a fever and that he "vomited every day for three days without interruption" before seeking medical help.
Dr. Stephen Amesburg, a pulmonologist and ICU doctor who saw Hergenreder, told CNN that if his mother had not taken him to the hospital, Hergenreder's breathing could have worsened to the point of causing his death in a few days.
"It was a serious lung disease, especially for a young man," Amesbury told CNN, "he was out of breath, he was not breathing hard."
After being taken to the hospital, Hergenreder was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit, according to CBS News.
Hergenreder is one of 450 people hospitalized in at least 33 US states with lung diseases that, according to health authorities, are related to the use of electronic cigarettes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, six people died of the disease, including one in Illinois.
"It was scary to think about that – this little device did that to my lungs," Hergenreder told CNN. "I used to be a college wrestler and I might never be able to fight because it's a very physical sport and my lungs might not be able to withstand this effort … It's sad."
Health officials continue to investigate diseases. According to the CDC, no specific product or compound has been associated with any cases of lung disease.
Federal and state investigators said many people who became ill said they had sprayed THC, and officials are focusing on contaminants in THC-containing black-market products as possible culprits. Other patients have reported using nicotine cartridges and the authorities point out that they still have to identify a specific device or chemical involved. For the moment, officials warn people of all ages of Avoid electronic cigarettes, especially street-bought products.
Poison control officials worry about exposure to vaping products, including electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine, in recent years because of the high concentration of nicotine that they contain compared to other tobacco products, according to the American Association of Poison Control Center.
Association officials said that by August 31, the poison control centers had processed 2,961 cases related to e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine this year. Last year, the authorities recorded 2,470 cases, according to the figures of the association.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
© 2019 Cox Media Group.
[ad_2]
Source link