E-cigarettes have grown in popularity within the last several years, partially due to their reputation as a safer choice than traditional tobacco cigarettes. Despite these marketing claims, studies have shown that devices used for vaping like JUUL can result in many of the same conditions as cigarettes, including pulmonary embolisms.
How can vaping lead to a pulmonary embolism?
A pulmonary embolism is an obstruction of one of the pulmonary arteries of your lungs and can be fatal. These blockages are caused by clumps of material, most often blood clots, that travel to the lungs from other parts of the body. The creation of this barrier in the artery stops blood from flowing to that part of the lung, which can lead to a pulmonary infarction or death of the lung tissue.
There are many factors that can influence blood clotting activity, including smoking and vaping. It has been demonstrated that nicotine and other added preservatives in devices like JUUL can adversely affect blood clotting function, even immediately after vaping. Smoking can make your blood cells “sticker” and easier to clump together, as well as harming the lining of blood vessels which can make it easier for clots to form.
Older individuals more commonly suffer from pulmonary embolisms, but vaping is changing that. A 24-year-old Rochester man filed a lawsuit against JUUL in September 2019, after being diagnosed with pulmonary embolism that same March. He stated that JUUL falsely portrayed its product as a safe alternative to cigarettes, which prompted him to start using the device to help him quit chewing tobacco. He vaped two mango-flavored JUUL cartridges each day starting in 2016.
The Dangers of Vaping
It is now known that using e-cigarette products like JUUL can be just as detrimental as smoking traditional cigarettes, if not more. If you or a loved one experienced a pulmonary embolism after vaping, contact the accomplished attorneys at Kwartler Manus, LLC to schedule a consultation.
E-cigarette smoking can lead to pulmonary embolisms as well as:
COVID-19
Asthma
Pneumonia
EVALI
Popcorn lung - Bronchiolitis
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Collapsed Lung
Acute Respiratory Distress
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Heart Attack
Cardiac Arrest (or other cardiac conditions)
Heavy Metal Poisoning (including cobalt, cadmium, lead)
Neurological conditions (including strokes, seizures)
Respiratory disease
