I took up vaping thinking it was healthier than smoking – now I’m being suffocated to death
A WOMAN has been diagnosed with a deadly lung condition after vaping for just one year.
Lucy Turchin, 35, from California, US, developed pneumonitis after vaping nicotine and cannabis e-cigarettes.
Lucy first started vaping after overcoming a 12-year heroin addiction - and said she believed it was a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes.
Read more on vaping
But within just months of picking up the habit, the social media sensation started struggling to breathe, suffering an intense burning and discomfort in her throat.
She gave up vaping and her symptoms subsided within six months.
However, she soon picked up vaping again and her symptoms returned with a vengeance.
Vaping has risen rapidly over the past decade to reach record levels in the UK with an estimated 4.3million people regularly using e-cigarettes, according to a report.
The habit is widely recognised as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.
However, recent data revealed that soaring numbers of people need treatment for breathing issues caused by vaping.
Researchers in California said popular e-cigarettes could "trigger dangerous damage to brain and heart".
It was also suggested that vaping is as bad as cigarettes for reducing blood vessel function.
Though her condition is incurable, Lucy said that she is now dedicating to spreading awareness about the dangers of vaping.
"I'm gonna survive this because I have important work to do," she said.
Signs of pneumonitis you should know
Signs and symptoms of chronic include:
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Unintentional weight loss
Source: Mayo Clinic