First Texas Case of Lung Disease Related to Vaping Found in Teen

A survey of state health departments has found there to be a minimum of 15 states which identified over 120 cases of illness or lung disease linked to vaping. Now, Texas has its first case of a teenager with lung disease linked to vaping. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recently stated that it’s in the process of investigating the link between the use of e-cigarettes and severe pulmonary disease.

Texas has confirmed this lung disease case as being linked to the habit, which appears to have its popularity anchored in youth sales. Although the current age limit for the purchase of such products is 18, and that will be soon bumping to 21, the popularity hasn’t waned. Those states that have identified the most cases of disease and ailments linked to this habit include Wisconsin, Illinois, California, New York, Indiana, and New Jersey. Behind that, health officials in Michigan, Connecticut, Iowa, Florida, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah, and Texas have noted they’re aware of potential or confirmed cases. The case in which lung disease has been found in Texas, linked to vaping, was diagnosed in a teen.

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From the months of June through mid-August, the CDC stated it had 94 possible cases of severe lung disease, in 14 states, believed to be associated with vaping. They have urged doctors, via email, to gather samples and information with respect to the similarities among patients who have been engaged in the habit, in an effort to facilitate the sharing of information and appropriate testing. Dr. Ruth Lynfield of the Minnesota Department of Health recently told CNN, “There are still many unanswered questions, but the health harms emerging from the current epidemic of youth vaping in Minnesota continue to increase. We are encouraging providers and parents to be on the look-out for vaping as a cause for unexplained breathing problems and lung injury and disease.” At present, medical experts have stated that in teens, vaping is causing cellular impairment and inflammation, and over the long-term, there is a higher potential for addiction.