Juul popcorn lung complaints are becoming increasingly common, but are they valid?
As the number of vape users increases and time passes, the amount of research into the potential long-term health effects of vaping is growing along with them.
While vaping remains popular, it’s important for users to understand the risks they’re taking as well as the risks manufacturers are passing onto them through untried formulations, inconsistent production methods, and what has been, until recently, very little oversight. While often billed as a “safe” alternative to smoking, that is not always the case.
About Juul and Vaping
Because the Juul vaping device grew to such popularity, it became synonymous with vaping, with some users even referring to it as Juuling, which can cause some confusion, but they mean exactly the same thing. With a vape device, a nicotine solution is stored in a tank capped with a wick that soaks up the solution.
When activated, a battery energizes a heating coil, heating the wick until the liquid in it vaporizes. This vapor is then inhaled by users carrying the solution into either their mouth, after which it is inhaled into their lungs, or directly into their lungs.
As the vapor enters the lungs, it passes through the bronchia, which branches farther down into bronchioles, eventually ending at alveoli, small sacks where the air and vapor we breathe passes into the blood. Along the way, the vapor you inhale coats the mucosa of these structures. While seldom a problem for the larger bronchi, bronchioles are smaller and narrower, and this is where popcorn lung from Juul and other vaping devices can occur.
Potential Health Risks Of Vaping
Because vaping introduces a vapor made from a chemical solution into your lungs, it can come with a range of health risks. While in many cases data about the long-term effects of vaping is still being gathered, users want to know about Juul cancer risks, how it may affect their respiratory systems over the years, and even how it may affect those around them. Potential vaping complications include:
- Heart Attacks – Nicotine is the primary active ingredient in e-juice, just as it is in cigarettes. A potent stimulant, it can cause your heart rate to increase, raising blood pressure, and putting more stress on your cardiac muscle. The result can be an overworked heart at greater risk for a cardiac event
- Addiction – Nicotine is addictive. While users may worry about id Juul can cause cancer or getting popcorn lung from Juul vaping, nicotine addiction can make it harder for them to step away from their habit.
- EVALI – E-cigarette or Vaping product Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) is a potentially fatal respiratory condition that was first recognized in 2019, but has symptoms that fit with vape-related illness reports much farther back. Appearing as a sudden and severe lung infection causing shortness of breath and fever that could turn serious quickly in otherwise healthy victims, its cause was soon traced back to the use of vaping products, like Juul.
- Cancer – E-juice contains known carcinogens, chemical compounds that can increase your risk of cancer. These substances damage your body’s cells, potentially changing its structure and leading to the formation of cancerous tissue that can spread.
- Popcorn Lung – Juul popcorn lung is one of the more common health complications facing vape enthusiasts. Causing severe shortness of breath and placing you at greater risk for complications from other respiratory ailments, this condition causes lasting damage and may not start to present symptoms until the damage is done.
Bronchiolitis Obliterans: Popcorn Lung
Popcorn lung gets its name from where it was first detected: in the lungs of workers at microwave popcorn factories. As more and more of these workers were diagnosed with the same condition, the cause was traced back to certain chemicals found at the time in the popcorn. While since removed from popcorn, diacetyl, a popcorn flavoring, and similar chemical compounds are now used in some e-juice and nic salt formulations, leading to popcorn lung from Juul and vape use.
When you inhale, air is drawn through your nose and mouth toward your lungs. It splits to enter two bronchi, one for each lung, which then branch further inside the lungs into smaller passages called bronchioles before ending at the alveoli, small air sacs where the exchange of oxygen between the air and blood occurs. When you vape, the aerosolized chemical solution travels deep into your lungs, coating the bronchioles as it goes. This can cause inflammation in your bronchioles, leading to irritation and swelling. As these passageways narrow, it gets harder to breathe.
Over time, Juul popcorn lung starts to set in as scar tissue forms in these inflamed bronchioles. This thickens the tissue, reducing and eventually eliminating its ability to effectively carry fresh air into your body. This damage is permanent, and while the overall symptoms may be treated, popcorn lung can’t be cured and will affect you the rest of your life.
Have You Been Diagnosed With Popcorn Lung From Juul Vaping?
We know Juul can cause cancer, and that popcorn lung from Juul and other vaping devices is a growing health crisis. So do manufacturers. They also know that their products are addictive, and they’re counting on you to keep buying them despite the known health risks. This can lead to injury and the need for expensive medical treatments for the rest of the user’s life. There may be financial relief that can help you maintain your health, cover medical bills, and compensate you for pain and suffering.
Our experienced personal injury attorneys will talk to you about your personal injury claim and how popcorn lung from Juul vaping has affected your life. In Pennsylvania, if certain conditions are met, a company that produces or sells a dangerous product may be liable for the damages it causes.
Your Philadelphia personal injury lawyer will work to establish the cause of your illness and help you file your claim. From negotiation with the defendant to court, if necessary, they’ll be with you every step of the way, making your case our cause.
Talk To Your Lawyer From Anapol Weiss
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Juul-related popcorn lung, contact us today to set an appointment with an attorney who’s ready to listen to you. They’ll go over your options moving forward and help you understand your rights and how best to protect them. Get the legal help you need from Anapol Weiss with a free initial consultation today.