FIGHT FOR LIFE
My lungs ‘turned to concrete and collapsed’ after vaping left ‘black, gooey vape juice’ leaking from my body
How vaping affects your body - from your lungs to your heart
A WOMAN got so addicted to vaping that she showered and slept with her e-cig - until she nearly died when her lungs collapsed and "black mucus" poured out of her body.
Jordan Brielle had been smoking cigarettes since being a young teen but decided to switch to vaping in 2021.
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The 32-year-old, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, soon became addicted to the devices - forking out $500 (£380) a week on her vaping habit.
Jordan said she even took her e-cigarette into the shower and slept with it at the height of her addiction.
The residential assistant noticed a decline in her health in November last year when she began to feel a distinct heaviness in her chest.
The step-mum-of-one said she went to the hospital "two or three times a week" with breathing problems - but still continued to vape despite her respiratory issues.
Read more on vaping
In May, Jordan was rushed to hospital after her partner found her unresponsive in bed with "black mucus" dripping out of her nose and mouth.
After suctioning two litres of "black" fluid from her lungs, doctors placed Jordan into a medically induced coma for 11 days.
Jordan admits she feels lucky to be alive - and is now warning others to steer clear of vaping.
Jordan said: "I was fully addicted. I was vaping so much that I slept with it, it went to the shower with me. I was vaping an excessive amount.
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"Then in mid-November, I began feeling a heaviness in my chest. At first it was just a respiratory infection or bronchitis so I kept going to the hospital with breathing problems.
"I had a horrible cough and was going to the hospital two or three times a week for help. I had little to no voice.
Teen's 'trapped wind' turns out to be burst 'air blister' in her lung from vaping equivalent of 50 cigarettes a day
"Each time they would send me home. It felt like there were 80lbs of pressure just laying on my chest. I'd never felt so sick in my life.
"My body was swelling up from my ankles to my kneecaps. I kept going to the hospital because I was progressively getting worse.
"My skin was turning grey, I couldn't focus, I was very discombobulated. It was hurting to walk. I could barely do anything.
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"Nobody knew what was actually wrong with me. I felt like I was dying."
'Quit any way you can'
Jordan said she caught Covid-19 and pneumonia but still continued to vape during her health difficulties.
It was only when her partner found her unresponsive in bed before a night shift that Jordan decided to ditch the e-cigarettes for good.
Jordan said: "When he went to wake me up [before a night shift], he said there was black mucus coming out of my mouth and my nose.
"He said I was gasping but couldn't catch my breath. I was unresponsive and had a faint pulse.
"He began sucking the sputum out of my nose and mouth to try and give me CPR. He called 911 because the CPR wasn't working.
My body was trying to force out the vape juice inside my lungs, which was like concrete. It was pure black and bloody
Jordan Brielle
"I don't remember anything. I was intubated immediately and taken to hospital."
Doctors immediately hooked Jordan up to a ventilator and her family was told her left lung had collapsed and right had partially collapsed.
Medics began suctioning two litres of 'vape juice' inside Jordan's lungs before placing her into a medically induced coma for 11 days.
Jordan said: "My body was trying to force out the vape juice inside my lungs, which was like concrete. It was pure black and bloody. At the hospital, they were sucking it out of me.
"There was at least two litres of fluid on my lungs. In hospital, they told me my lungs were extremely damaged from smoking and vaping.
The 4 horrifying things that can happen to your body after vaping
VAPES were once hailed as miracle devices to help adults ditch cigarettes.
But while the devices don't carry the same risks as tobacco, experts have warned that vaping might not be so harmless after all.
Here are five ways vaping could damage young users bodies:
1. It could slow down brain development
Vaping nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It said that nicotine consumed during teenage years can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, as well as increase the risk of addiction.
2. It could lead to tooth decay
Dr Michael Heffernan, a dentist at The Wessex Dental Specialist Care, said most vapes contain dangerous chemical that can harm your teeth and lead to decay.
Puffing on the devices could also lead to mouth dryness, creating an environment in which harmful bacteria can grow.
3. It could damage heart health
However, some of the chemicals found in vapes can be damaging to the heart, with the American Heart Association (AHA) stating that vaping is "as harmful to the body's cardiovascular systems as cigarettes".
4. It could cause lung disease
Vaping from a young age could leave children with breathing difficulties, with paediatric respiratory consultant Dr Mike McKean saying he'd seen reports of people developing lung disease related to vaping.
Researchers from the US also found that young people who vape are more at risk of bronchitis, inflammation of the airways, and shortness of breath.
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
"It felt like there was a popped balloon in my lungs. I had to do breathing and lungs exercises before I was discharged.
"I've been left with a minor brain injury due to lack of oxygen to my brain.
"The doctors told me there's a high possibility this could happen again. I'm better now in some ways but worse in other ways.
"They really saved my life. They told me if I'd waited any longer, I wouldn't have been here. I haven't touched a vape since."
Jordan pleaded with other vapers: "I would say to anyone else quit any way you can.
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"Do it for your health, your family, your life, your lungs - whatever motivates you, use that reason and stop.
"I wouldn't wish what I'd been through on anyone else. I feel grateful to be alive."
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