A doctor has shared a video on TikTok warning people who vape that “the only things lungs need is fresh air” as the habit can lead to a number of health issues
Vaping’s rise in popularity has been meteoric, with many drawn to the habit for its indoor-friendly lack of stench, an array of tantalising flavours, and of course, its addictive nature.
However, an NHS respiratory specialist has issued a stark warning, insisting that “the only things lungs need is fresh air” and is calling on vapers to watch her video. She highlights the serious health risks associated with vaping, including the potential need for “intensive care”.
The medic, who goes by @doc.dewdrop on TikTok, identifies herself as a “chest doctor” and aims to shed light on the frightening consequences of persistent vaping.
She begins by explaining: “EVALI describes a range of injuries to the lung caused by vaping, and it stands for E-Vating Accute Lung Injury”. Displaying a chest X-ray, she points out “hazy diffused shadowing” across the lungs, clarifying that while “a normal lung is black, abnormal is white” on such images.
She reveals that these white patches signify “acute inflammation”, which can escalate dramatically. “The very worst way this can present is progression to something called ARDS, or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”, she elaborates, adding: “There’s no air getting into that lung or going into the body as oxygen. This person will require ventilatory support on the intensive care unit”.
She then revealed another chest X-ray of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, describing it as “like an allergic reaction to compounds within the vape that causes acute inflammation in the lung”. Symptoms include a cough, phlegm, sputum, and occasionally coughing up blood. Sufferers will also experience shortness of breath.
Next, she highlighted “popcorn lung”, a condition where the small airways become inflamed and damaged, leading to thickening and fixation, known medically as obliterative bronchiolitis. This results in trapped air within the lungs during breathing, causing breathlessness.
She proceeded to show images of lungs with fat and lipoid pneumonitis, explaining that “the lungs don’t want to have fat tissue in them”, and that it acts as an “irritant to the lungs and they heal with scarring and fibrosis”.
Following this, she displayed a pnemothorax, “where the lung has collapsed as air gets in the plural space and makes the lung go down”. Symptoms include acute shortness of breath and it can make you feel quite unwell.
She noted that all these conditions result in scarring, which leads to “shrinkage”, and when the lungs “shrink and become stiff you can’t exchange oxygen properly and you can’t breathe efficiently”.
The doctor concluded by saying that the long-term effects of vaping are still unknown, adding that “nicotine affects the brain and it’s likely to be affecting mental health in our young people”.
