Young Mom's Lungs Fill Up With Toxic Vape Oil After 300 Puffs a Day: 'I Thought I Was Having a Heart Attack'

Vaping is often seen as a safer alternative to smoking, but the truth is, it comes with its own set of risks. One young mother's terrifying ordeal serves as a stark warning.

After vaping up to 300 times a day, her lungs became clogged with toxic vape oil, leading to a health scare she initially mistook for a heart attack. Her story sheds light on the serious, and sometimes life-threatening, consequences of this popular habit.

A Mother's Frightening Health Scare

After experiencing what she thought was a heart attack, a young mother discovered her lungs were filling with fluid, a consequence of her vaping habit.

Cloey Eyes, a 25-year-old from Ocala, Florida, had been vaping constantly for two years. She started using the device as a way to stop smoking cigarettes, but instead, she developed an addiction.

The mother-of-five knew vaping wasn't ideal for her lungs, yet she continued the habit, convinced it was a better choice than her previous one. Then, one night in July, she woke up suddenly with 'sharp pains' in her chest, desperately trying to catch her breath.

'I was terrified at the pain and I felt like I was going to die as I was scared I was going to not be able to breathe at all', she said.

The Shocking Diagnosis: 'Popcorn Lung'

Eyes immediately went to the emergency department, where scans soon revealed she had bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as 'popcorn lung'. This rare lung disease is caused by inflammation that scars the bronchioles — the smallest airways in the lungs.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, individuals who are frequently exposed to airborne toxins have a higher chance of developing bronchiolitis obliterans. These substances are used in some manufacturing processes and are also present in vapes and e-cigarettes.

In Eyes' case, doctors also discovered an oily substance building up in her lungs, which they identified as the fluid she had inhaled from vaping. 'I woke up at 2:30 a.m. and my chest felt like it was having a heart attack', Eyes said.

'I had really bad pains in my chest and had to lean over. I couldn't catch my breath and I had to hit myself in the chest multiple times to be able to catch my breath. It was a sharp pain in my chest, but it also was a suffocating feeling.'

She mentioned that scans first showed an 'oil pocket' in her left lung, and then another in her right. Doctors also discovered vape oil surrounding both lungs, though they couldn't determine the exact amount that had accumulated in her body.

'It was scary to hear this', she said. 'It's the oil from the vape and this is thickening up as you [breathe it in] and attaching itself to your lungs.'

A Difficult Road to Recovery

In some rare cases, vapes have been connected to lipoid pneumonia, a condition where inhaled oily substances from e-cigarettes accumulate in the lungs, leading to inflammation and damage.

Patients typically experience a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and may cough up blood or bloody mucus. Doctors state that there is no effective treatment for this condition.

While steroids and an inhaler can help lessen inflammation and improve breathing in cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, a lung transplant might be necessary in more serious situations. Individuals with this condition need continuous care to manage their symptoms.

They're also advised to stay away from air pollution, cigarette smoke and people who are sick and may spread infections.

'There isn't a good treatment for lipoid pneumonia, other than supportive care, while the lungs heal on their own', Dr Stephen Broderick, a lung cancer surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, previously said. 'The single most important thing you can do is identify what is causing it — in this case vaping — and eliminate it.'

300 Puffs a Day: The Dangerous Reality

Eyes shared that she used rechargeable disposable vapes, which she would throw away once they 'ran out of juice'. She would use the device more than 300 times daily, finishing a 5,000-puff one every two weeks.

Even though she chose a different flavour each time, she said she would always go for the fruity ones. She started smoking cigarettes in 2020 just before the Covid pandemic, but quit in August 2023 because she 'hated the smell'. It was then that she switched to vaping.

'I used the vape more than when I smoked as it was handy and right there', she said of her addiction. 'When I was smoking, the pack [20 cigarettes] would last me four days, so I would smoke around five cigarettes a day.

'I knew vaping wasn't any better than smoking, I just hated the smell of the smoke [from cigarettes] and needed to stop.'

Eyes' condition was serious, and she had to stay overnight in the hospital. She was given a prescription for antibiotics, an inhaler and cough suppressants. The mother stated that doctors told her it would take at least a year for her lungs to recover fully.

Popcorn lung is linked to diacetyl, a chemical compound in some vapes used to create various flavours. When inhaled, this substance causes inflammation. Symptoms of the condition include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue and night sweats.

Since her story was made public, several other vapers have come forward to say they were also diagnosed with popcorn lung after using the device, though it's unclear how many cases have been linked to vapes across the country.

In some instances, vapes have also been connected to heart attacks, which are believed to be caused by the device triggering inflammation in the blood and increasing blood pressure.

Her Plea to Other Vapers

Eyes has now stopped vaping entirely and said she would 'never pick up a vape again'.

'I went cold turkey and quit vaping,' she said. 'I feel 10 times better now as I have stopped completely. My lungs feel better and I don't feel out of breath all the time...I would tell people to put the vape down, especially if you're a parent. You don't think it's going to happen to you. I didn't think it would [happen to me.'

'Even if you don't go through the pain, the amount of chemicals going through your lungs is probably knocking about 10 years off your life. I turned 25 last Saturday, and to think I could have lost my life from vaping is just not worth it.'

Studies suggest that around one in 20 Americans vapes. The habit is far more widespread among young adults aged 21 to 24, with 15.5 per cent of this age group using the device. A lot of people become addicted and report using them almost constantly throughout the day, which can increase their risk of developing serious health complications.