Vaping FAQs

can vaping marijuana cause pneumonia

by Celestine Yost V Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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Vaping is known to increase the risk of viral and bacterial pneumonia by compromising the respiratory local immune response [ 7 ]. Vaping is also known to cause lipoid pneumonia where the alveoli are filled with lipid laden macrophages (also called foamy macrophages) with or without surrounding inflammation [ 8 ].

Some patients are suffering from another condition known as lipoid pneumonia, doctors said. When vaped oils get into the lungs, the lungs treat them as a foreign object and mount an immune response, resulting in inflammation and the buildup of liquids, which can cause lipoid pneumonia.Oct 12, 2021

Full Answer

Can vaping cause pneumonia?

Vaping-related lipoid pneumonia is the result of inhaling oily substances found in e-liquid, which sparks an inflammatory response in the lungs. Symptoms of lipoid pneumonia include: Chronic cough. Shortness of breath.

What are the symptoms of lung damage from vaping?

What are the symptoms of EVALI?Shortness of breath.Cough.Chest pain.Fever and chills.Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.Rapid heartbeat.Rapid and shallow breathing.

How do lungs heal from vaping?

However, there are certain lifestyle behaviors you can practice to try and accelerate the rate at which your lungs heal.Drink Lots Of Water. ... Eat Healthy Foods. ... Exercise Regularly. ... Cough. ... Clean Your Living Space. ... Practice Deep Breathing. ... Try Steam Therapy.

Is vaping worse than smoking?

1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.

Can vaping collapse your lungs?

Typically, the blisters are not problematic. But both vaping and smoking increase the risk of bursting which can lead to lung collapse. Signs of a collapsed lung include sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

How much vaping is too much?

Even today, many high-profile sources list the toxic dose of nicotine (the LD50 – or the dose that will kill about half of people exposed) as between 30 and 60 mg. To put this in context of vaping, this would be about 4 ml of 12 mg/ml e-liquid. d.

What are the 4 stages of pneumonia?

The 4 stages of untreated lobar pneumonia are:Stage 1: Congestion.Stage 2: Red hepatization.Stage 3: Grey hepatization.Stage 4: Resolution.

How long does it take for vaping to affect your lungs?

Exposure for just three days was enough to incur sufficient damage to their lungs, setting the stage for long-term chronic lung damage.

How long does it take for vaping to affect your lungs?

Exposure for just three days was enough to incur sufficient damage to their lungs, setting the stage for long-term chronic lung damage.

What are the long term side effects of vaping?

These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.

How much vaping is too much?

Even today, many high-profile sources list the toxic dose of nicotine (the LD50 – or the dose that will kill about half of people exposed) as between 30 and 60 mg. To put this in context of vaping, this would be about 4 ml of 12 mg/ml e-liquid. d.

Does popcorn lung go away?

The lung tissue scarring caused by popcorn lung is irreversible. Also, there is no cure for the condition once it has developed and begun constricting the airways. There are treatment options to manage or reduce symptoms and limit further lung damage, however.

What are the symptoms of smoking marijuana?

Symptoms were: wheezing and whistling in the chest; sleep disturbed or speech limited due to wheezing; sounded wheezy during or after exercise; and dry cough at night not associated with chest illness or infection. Paper cited: "Cannabis, Vaping, and Respiratory Symptoms in a Probability Sample of U.S. Youth," Journal of Adolescent Health.

Who is the principal investigator of vaping nicotine?

The result challenges conventional wisdom about vaping nicotine, says the study's principal investigator, Carol Boyd, Ph.D., the Deborah J. Oakley Collegiate Professor Emerita at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. "I thought that e-cigarettes (vaping nicotine) would be the nicotine product most strongly associated with worrisome ...

Is vaping a smoking habit for teens?

Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke cigarettes or marijuana, or vape nicotine, a new University of Michigan study suggests.

Does vaping cause lung damage?

Vaping Marijuana Associated with More Symptoms of Lung Damage than Vaping or Smoking Nicotine. Research says vaping cannabis may cause worse respiratory issues than e-cigarettes or smoking cigarettes or marijuana alone. Adolescents who vape cannabis are at greater risk for respiratory symptoms indicative of lung injury than teens who smoke ...

Is vaping bad for you?

Boyd, who also co-directs U-M's Center for Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, stressed that the findings do not mean that vaping nicotine or smoking cigarettes or marijuana are not bad for you. These products also produce symptoms of lung injury, but not to the same degree as vaping marijuana, she explains. "In short, it is all bad, but ...

What is a vaping cartridge?

Vaping cartridges contain oil that is heated with a heating element, which produces a vapor. “Within that vapor, there may be tiny aerosolized droplets of lipids, which can be inhaled,” said Andrew Freeman, MD, a pulmonologist with University of Utah Health. “When large enough amounts of lipid droplets are inhaled into the lungs, ...

How many different types of vapor products are there?

There are 3 different types of vapor products - nicotine, CBD and THC vapor products. You MUST specify which you are talking about because while nicotine vape juices are very well self-regulated and have been around longer, the other 2 have not been around nearly as long and are not very well self-regulated.

Is vaping safer than smoking?

Advocates for vaping say it’s a safer option than smoking. They point out that, with regular cigarettes, users inhale harmful chemicals into their lungs that can cause damage, and that those chemicals are not present in vaping cartridges. However, e-cigarettes have been associated with other acute lung injuries, including a condition called lipoid pneumonia. Vaping cartridges contain oil that is heated with a heating element, which produces a vapor. “Within that vapor, there may be tiny aerosolized droplets of lipids, which can be inhaled,” said Andrew Freeman, MD, a pulmonologist with University of Utah Health. “When large enough amounts of lipid droplets are inhaled into the lungs, they can cause irritation and damage to the lung, leading to the condition termed lipoid pneumonia.”

Can lipids cause lungs to hurt?

Thus, lipid droplets may not be causing irritation or injury to the lungs in all cases, but they are probably there. And the higher burden of lipid, the overall greater chance of developing lipoid pneumonia.”. Symptoms of lipoid pneumonia—chest pain, difficulty breathing, chronic coughing, or even coughing up blood—can be similar ...

Is lipoid pneumonia life threatening?

In those scenarios, the condition is life threatening. Lipoid pneumonia can be fatal, but with the proper medical support and treatment, recovery is also possible. Any time there is a substantial acute injury to the lungs, however, patients may have a permanent decreased lung capacity, even after they have recovered.

Does vaping cause pneumonia?

That’s changing, though, as more people take up vaping, voluntarily introducing lipid particles into their lungs. Of course, that doesn’t mean that everyone who vapes will develop lipoid pneumonia. But they are putting themselves at risk.

Can e-cigarettes cause pneumonia?

The Taiwanese physician noted that in August of 2019 the US had a flurry of lung pneumonias or similar, which the Americans blamed on ‘vaping’ from e-cigarettes, but which, according to the scientist, the symptoms and conditions could not be explained by e-cigarettes.

Is cigarette smoking associated with AEP?

There is a well-established association between inhalational exposures and acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP). The most reported exposure is cigarette smoking. Here, we present a case of progressive shortness of breath and nonproductive cough in a college student with no significant medical history, approximately 10 days after inhaling cannabis ...

Is vaping safe for young adults?

He made rapid recovery on intravenous glucocorticoids. Vaping has gained popularity among young adults mainly due to the perception that it is a safe alternative to smoking. This case shows that there may be a false sense of security with vaping.

How many cases of vaping induced pneumonitis are there?

One thousand eighty cases of vaping induced pneumonitis have been reported to the CDC as of October 1st, 2019. These cases come from 48 different state health departments and 1 U.S. territory. All patients had a history of e-cigarette use. The course of the disease process typically begins with pulmonary symptoms of nonproductive cough, pleuritic chest pain, and/or shortness of breath lasting over several days to weeks before the patient is hospitalized. All patients described in these reports had abnormal imaging that included infiltrates on chest radiograph and ground-glass opacities on chest CT scan. Gastrointestinal findings include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea have also been seen in these patients. Many patients, due to the nonspecific symptoms, received an initial diagnosis of infection and were treated with empiric antibiotics, which did not lead to improvement. One of the most severe symptoms that led to hospitalization was hypoxemia, which in some cases progressed to acute or subacute respiratory failure [ 2 ]. Patients in these cases needed multiple supplemental therapies, including supportive oxygen, endotracheal intubation, or even mechanical ventilation. The therapy that showed the most improvement in these patients was corticosteroids.

What are the symptoms of a vaping patient?

The patient’s symptoms began with substernal, pleuritic chest pain. He then developed chills and vomiting (NBNB) of 7–8 episodes. The morning before presenting to the hospital, the patient went to an urgent care clinic for his worsening symptoms, but was then sent to the ED. His max temperature was 100 °F, blood pressure (BP) was 99/72 mmHg, HR of 116 BPM, respiratory rate (RR) of 19 breaths per minute (BRPM), oxygen saturation (SpO2) of 94% on ambient room air. Laboratory findings were notable for leukocytosis with a white blood cell count (WBC) of 24,900 cells per microliter, with 95.3% neutrophils, 1.6% lymphocytes, 2.1% monocytes, and 0.0% eosinophils. Procalcitonin was 0.45 ng/ml, LDH 400 ng/ml, D-Dimer 406.91 ng/mL, lactate negative, and lipase negative. CT chest notable for bilateral ground-glass opacities throughout both lungs and prominent lymph nodes.

What is organizing pneumonia?

One of the most prevalent types of pneumonia that occurs from vaping is organizing pneumonia, also known as cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) and Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). It affects the walls of the bronchioles (air passages) of the lungs as well as the air sacs, called alveoli, along the walls of these passages. A case report was published in 2016 that described a 27-year-old man with no other health problems going into respiratory failure and developing organizing pneumonia. He had been using e-cigarettes for seven months prior to this incident in an attempt to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.

Is vaping safer than smoking?

When e-cigarettes first hit the market, they were touted as a safer option than traditional cigarettes. However, studies show that vaping can cause many of the same effects and injuries as smoking, including types of pneumonia.

Is vaping dangerous?

Vaping is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes, maybe even more, and can lead to many similar injuries and conditions. If you or your child developed pneumonia or other issues due to vaping, the JUUL e-cigarette attorneys of Kwartler Manus, LLC are available to discuss your case and help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Side effects of vaping can include various types of pneumonia and other injuries and issues such as:

Can vape cartridges cause pneumonia?

Another pneumonia that has been diagnosed in e-cigarette users is lipoid pneumonia. The word lipoid implies the involvement of fats, including oils such as the ones in vape cartridges. This severe form of pneumonia was diagnosed in a 25-year-old Utah woman after she started vomiting and coughing up blood. It is fairly rare and traditionally associated with oil based-laxatives, but is now on the rise with the expansion of the e-cigarette industry.

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Abstract

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There is a well-established association between inhalational exposures and acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP). The most reported exposure is cigarette smoking. Here, we present a case of progressive shortness of breath and nonproductive cough in a college student with no significant medical history, approximately 10 d…
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Introduction

  • Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare cause of acute hypoxic respiratory failure. The exact pathophysiology is unknown, but it is thought to involve activation of the inflammation cascade resulting in recruitment of inflammatory cells predominantly, eosinophils to the lung parenchyma [ 1. F. De Giacomi, R. Vassallo, E. S. Yi, and J. H. Ryu, “Acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Causes, dia…
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Case Report

  • A 20-year-old male college student presented with three-week history of nonproductive cough, dyspnea, and wheezing. He was seen in the primary care office two weeks earlier and was started on albuterol and inhaled corticosteroids. He did not receive antibiotics. His symptoms briefly improved but he became more fatigued and, a week later, even more short of breath. He present…
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Discussion

  • AEP is an uncommon cause of acute hypoxic respiratory failure and is associated with smoking cigarettes and/or cannabis [ 1. A. Natarajan, P. Shah, A. E. Mirrakhimov, and N. Hussain, “Eosinophilic pneumonia associated with concomitant cigarette and marijuana smoking,” BMJ Case Reports, vol. 2013, no. 1, 2013.View at: Publisher Site| Google ScholarSee in References4, …
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Conclusion

  • There have been recent reported cases of pulmonary illness associated with vaping. There have been prior reports of AEP associated with smoking marijuana. This case represents yet another example of the harms of vaping, which had, until recently, been unknown to the general public. We are unable to state if the specific THC product vaped by our pat...
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Disclosure

  • A poster version of this case was presented at the annual Resident/Fellows Research Day at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine on May 30th, 2019 in Reno, NV, USA.
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