A mother claims vaping triggered a deadly respiratory infection that caused her lungs to become ‘fried’ and resemble the organs of an 80 year-old.
Hannah Roth, from Newport, Tennessee, said the first sign something was wrong was a ‘popping’ sound when she breathed in, which developed after four years of daily vaping.
Ms Roth had never smoked before but picked up vaping as a ‘bad habit’ due to the stress of the pandemic lockdown and was soon puffing on her device ‘every hour of the day’.
The 30-year-old developed a fever of 104°F (40°C) last month which, coupled with the ‘popping’ sound, made her seek medical help.
The mom-of-two was horrified when doctors eventually discovered she had pneumonia, which they said was specifically caused by vaping.
Hannah Roth, from Newport, Tennessee , had never smoked before but picked up vaping as a ‘bad habit’ due to the stress of the pandemic lockdown and was soon vaping ‘every hour of the day’
Pneumonia can arise as a result of inhaling oily substances found in the e-liquid in vapes, which sets off an inflammatory response in the lungs.
Scans revealed her 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 vape in the trash and warned she would ‘die’ if she continued the habit.
Ms Roth said: ‘The doctor told me if I kept using the vapes I wouldn’t be able to breathe.
‘It was quite scary as a mother. I knew I couldn’t vape again as I’ve got two kids to take care of.’
The 30-year-old began to hear a ‘popping’ sound in her lungs last month when breathing and developed a fever of 104°F (40°C)
The doctor informed Ms Roth that her lungs looked like those of ‘someone much older’, or a person who has smoked for a decade.
‘I was really mad at myself because I had no idea that vaping could do that.
‘The doctor told me “every time that you’re hitting that vape, that vapor is going into your lungs and it’s like frying hot chicken in there.” The intensity of it was frying my lungs.
‘That’s why it was making a popping sound when I was breathing.’
At first, Ms Roth was misdiagnosed with the flu.
But a week later, she went to the hospital’s emergency department in Scott County, and doctors there discovered she had pneumonia – an infection that inflames air sacs in the lungs.
Ms Roth said: ‘I started vaping during the Covid pandemic. The stress of being stuck in the house led me to pick up on a bad habit one night. I just got addicted to it.
The mom-of-two was horrified when doctors revealed she had pneumonia specifically caused by vaping as she had no idea this was a potential side effect
Doctors told her: ‘It looks like a tree with branches, it’s called ‘tree budding’ and it’s basically the deterioration of your lung’
‘Last month, I got sick. I was at work and started getting cold chills and I really wasn’t feeling good.
‘I thought I may have bronchitis because my chest hurt really bad. That went on for a few days and then I went to the doctors and they said I had the flu and gave me medicine.’
But Ms Roth’s symptoms did not improve and she returned to the hospital with her mother.
‘[That’s when] they came back and said I had an obstruction in my right lung. They said it was pneumonia.
‘It looks like a tree with branches, it’s called ‘tree budding’ and it’s basically the deterioration of your lung.
‘It’s not supposed to happen unless you’re a really heavy smoker.’
Now Ms Roth has vowed to stay away from vaping in order to look after her seven and ten-year old sons and hopes to warn others to ditch the vapes.
Ms Roth said: ‘I’ve been vape free ever since I went to hospital and my lungs aren’t making the popping sound anymore.
‘The doctor said if I stop vaping, my lungs will be able to heal as long as I don’t vape anymore.’
She still gets cravings to vape but tries to chew gum instead.
‘My advice would be just don’t vape, don’t pick it up and hit it. Even if you think you have control over it, sometimes you just don’t.’