Vaping Linked to Serious Health Problems

Vaping has helped many quit smoking cigarettes and some to quit using tobacco altogether. With this said, a recent lawsuit brought something to my attention, something that may change the way many view vaping. The makers of the popular Juul pods are facing a lawsuit after a user of their products had a stroke at the age of 22. His claim is that the company’s product led to him having a stroke.

A particular statement in an article by Forbes got me thinking and had me pose a question I didn't know the answer to. The statement from Forbes was this:

“The case marks the first time the e-cigarette company has been sued for a medical issue this severe.” —Forbes

Could this possibly be the most significant medical issue tied to vaping? And if it isn't, what other cases are there of vaping harming people?

It didn't take me long to answer this question though. Upon simply searching “vaping medical issues,” an article on WebMD popped up. It turns out that not only are strokes known to be associated with vaping, but heart attacks and heart disease are as well.

The article also revealed that those who vape have increased chances of having the following medical situations:

• Seventy-one percent higher risk of stroke.
• Fifty-nine percent higher risk of heart attack or angina (a type of chest pain caused when the blood flow to the heart is reduced).
• Forty percent higher risk of heart disease.

Now you may say, “How do you know the problem is with vaping and that the people studied were not already at a higher risk due to other factors?”

Well, according to Ndunda and his colleagues who performed the national survey it was found that even after eliminating other potential risk factors for the above medical conditions, the percentages stayed true.

These conditions are just the tip of the iceberg as it does not take into account the aftermath of one of these severe conditions. In the Juul pod case, the man who had a seizure ended up spending a hundred days in the hospital undergoing three brain surgeries. He suffered from speech impairment and had a fifty percent loss in vision. The case is still in its early stages, and a price for damages has not yet been named.

It is hard to draw a line in the sand on the issue. On the one hand, you have a range of products that have helped people quit smoking and on the other, you have people starting to vape at risk.

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