Toxic chemicals linked to vaping illnesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that vaping-related illnesses stem from chemical burns and not from inhaling oils as previously believed. The study centered on seventeen biopsies from patients diagnosed with vaping illnesses. Stat News reported that the researchers who published the results of this most recent study still do not know what is causing the illness and want to create a coherent, along with an accurate message to the public about the source of the problem. The researchers are hopeful their discovery will lead to developments that will stop the spread of the vaping illness epidemic.
As the spread of the vaping illnesses progressed across the country, physicians and researchers from North Carolina discovered oils in five of their patients’ lungs. These patients were diagnosed with a vaping-based illness. The discovery of the lipids in the patients’ lungs suggested to doctors that inhaled oils from e-cigarettes coated the lungs. Oils in the lungs cause an illness medical professional called lipoid pneumonia. Despite those initial findings, subsequent analyses suggest that oil accumulation does not completely explain why people are getting so sick.
A study authored by researchers from the Mayo Clinic indicates that none of the patients’ studies that they examined suggested that lipoid pneumonia does not accurately explain the problem. Additionally, researchers in Utah found macrophages in patients’ lungs that were filled with fatty oils. A macrophage is a certain immune cell. However, these patients did not display additional symptoms consistent with lipoid pneumonia. Lipoid-filled macrophages are not unique to lipoid pneumonia but are common in any lung inflammation.
The most recent study results show that the lung damage may be caused by a chemical because the results of seventeen biopsies show injuries consistent with inhaling toxic gases or exposure to chemicals. Researchers are hopeful that their conclusions can stop the progress of the lung injuries in its tracks.
