Young vapers warned about signs of serious illness they should look out for

Young vapers are being warned about the signs to look out for which could indicate a serious health issue.

There's no denying that the popularity of vaping has increased dramatically over the last few years.

While initially, it was seen as a 'safer' alternative to smoking regular cigarettes, it's now become clear that vaping carries its own risks.

While those risks are still emerging, the number of young people vaping in the UK is becoming an increasing concern.

Just this month, one 17-year-old girl rushed to A&E after 'turning blue' for vaping the equivalent of 57 cigs a day.

Vaping has become such a worry that disposable vapes are set to be banned in the UK from April next year.

But truly, it could take time to understand the impact of vaping. One doctor has warned we might not see the real dangers emerge for up to three decades from now.

However, one serious illness that *has* been associated with vaping is something called EVALI, which stands for e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury.

The popularity of vaping has increased dramatically over the last few years (Getty Stock Photo)

What is EVALI?

There's still a lot that doctors don't understand about the illness, but they're beginning to understand what causes it and the long-term consequences it carries.

Back in 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US began looking into cases of severe lung issues in people who vape.

They found that a large number of people who vaped had lung damage so severe it required hospital treatment.

After looking into what was causing the lung damage, the illness became known as EVALI.

What are the symptoms of EVALI?

According to WebMD, these are the signs that vapers should look out for:

• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Struggling to breathe
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness
• Belly pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Weight loss

Those who have vaped in the last 90 days should look out for symptoms (Getty Stock Photo)

What causes EVALI?

Joanna Tsai MD, pulmonologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center explained that researchers believe it could be something in the aerosol.

“We’re still not exactly sure the exact cause of it, but there is an inflammatory response that occurs in the lung presumed due to something in the aerosol from vaping,” she said.

Who's at risk?

According to WebMD, anyone who has vaped in the last 90 days is at risk of the illness.

The average of those with EVALI is 24-years-old, with 80 per cent under the age of 35.

This could be due to the popularity of vaping products among young people.

If you vape and notice any of the above symptoms, it's important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.