Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Winter 2020-21

14 ACMC Pulse • acmchealth.org IN 2019, the news that people were dying from the use of e-cigarettes was chilling. By February of 2020, nearly 2,900 people nationwide were hospitalized with e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). What was thought by many to be a “safe” alternative to traditional tobacco suddenly became a health threat. “I was very concerned last year and am still concerned by the number of people I see using e-cigarettes or vaping products,” said ACMC Emergency Department Medical Director Imraan Haniff, MD. “Studies have shown that using these products can damage airways.” Buyer beware “These devices are sold as a popular alternative to traditional tobacco products,” Dr. Haniff said. “Many people think they are exhaling water vapor, so they are healthier than cigarettes. This is just not the case, especially for younger users and pregnant women.” Health news The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traced the root cause of EVALI to the addition of vitamin E acetate as an ingredient in the vaping liquid. It is a thickening agent, which was a key ingredient in vaping products containing THC—a chemical in marijuana. “The CDC has continued to warn that many vaping products are not regulated by federal safety standards, so you could be getting an unhealthy mix of chemicals that you are breathing straight into your lungs,” Dr. Haniff said. Two specific chemicals—diacetyl (also known as pentanedione) and 2,3-pentanedione—have been found in more than 90% of the flavored e-cigarette liquids tested in scientific studies. These two chemicals have been linked to a debilitating lung disease known as popcorn lung. How lungs are damaged “Our lungs are sensitive to what we breathe in, especially with these ultrafine particles created by vaping devices. Our lungs are like the branches of a tree that end in air sacs, which transport the oxygen we breathe in to our blood. The smallest airways become inflamed, scarred and eventually narrow, reducing the amount of oxygen they transport,” Dr. Haniff said. Symptoms begin as a dry cough, shortness of breath, feeling tired for no obvious reason or light wheezing. “Lung damage is cumulative, which means it starts small and increases over time,” Dr. Haniff said. “The key is to stop doing what is harming your lungs. Otherwise, the lung damage continues, and the breathing problems only get worse. Many people experience more wheezing and start reducing their activities.” While treatment can minimize the effects of lung damage if caught early, there is no cure for permanently damaged lungs. Protect yourself CDC suggests the following safeguards to protect yourself against unknown chemicals harming your lungs: + Don’t use vaping products with THC. + Don’t use vaping products pur- chased off the street or borrowed from friends or family. + Don’t modify or add substances to the vaping products that aren’t advised by the manufacturer. Dr. Haniff takes these warnings even further. “Stop using vaping products,” he said. “Many e-cigarettes and vaping products have very few safety standards in place, and the products are not regulated. These are not safe alternatives to use. Please stop using them. Take a smoking cessation class or ask your physician for safe alternatives to smoking.” E-CIG SAFETY See acmchealth.org/ecig. It still has risks VAPING: Imraan Haniff, MD