Woman who vaped whilst ill left in coma with 'crispy lungs'
A US woman nearly died after developing crispy lungs from vaping while sick with the flu.
In December 2025 Kara Mullins' life was changed forever when she caught the the respiratory illness from her eight-year-old son.
At first the mum-of-four went about her life as normal, experiencing 'typical' flu symptoms such as feeling 'feverish and disoriented', however her health continued to deteriorate after the next couple of days, leading to her being hospitalised.
"I barely remember being in the emergency room," Kara recalled. "I was admitted straight to the ICU, I don't remember much of anything. After four days I continued to get worse."
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The 49-year-old was then placed on a ventilator and placed in a medically induced coma as her condition deteriorated.
She remained unconscious for a further week before being brought out of her coma, where she would learn that vaping was likely the cause of her health complications.
As a lifelong smoker, Kara had taken up vaping four years ago as a 'healthier' alternative and would go through a vape pod every couple of days. She continued to vape while sick with the flu, which doctors believe contributed to the severity of her illness.
"From what I've been told, what the vape does, because of the oils, puts a residue on your lungs and makes them crispy and that's what caused the damage," she explained.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, when a person inhales vape smoke the lungs are coated with 'potentially harmful chemicals'. "We think that some of the vaporized elements of the oil are getting deep down into the lungs and causing an inflammatory response," Stephen Broderick explained to the health site.
Combined with the inflammation which occurs when a person is fighting of a viral infection such as the flu and Kara's lungs were under extra strain.
"Because of the inflammation that I had, the doctors told my husband smoking the vape caused my lungs to tear because they weren't expanding like a normal person's," she said.
"Had I not smoked the vape, I wouldn't have gone through everything I did and have the damage I do now."
Kara now has permanent damage to her lungs and struggles walking long distances. However she has been able to regain the ability to breathe on her own, something which doctors weren't sure she'd be able to do.
"I was scared for my life. I was scared I would live a normal life again," she said.
"I'm still pretty young and I have a son that's eight, me and my husband are really active, we hike a lot.
"I can't really walk long distances yet. When I take a deep breath I do have pain in my lungs," the mum continued.
"I still have a little bit of cognitive going on from being in the coma, I have a hard time remembering short term things."
Kara is now sharing her story to warn people about the potential complications which can occur when using vapes.
"I have not touched one since I was hospitalised. My will to live is much stronger than that," she said.
"I just want people to know that vaping could permanently damage them, if not even kill them. Value yourself more than that."
What does the NHS say about vaping?
Current NHS guidelines state that vaping is not as harmful to the body as smoking is, with UK health experts finding that 'vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking' in the short and medium term.
This is because vaping removes the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes - such as tar, carbon monoxide and arsenic - which have been linked to a number of health conditions, including cancer.
It's also important to note that regulations around ingredients and the manufacturing of vapes differs between the US and UK.
Young people who've never smoked are advised not to take up vaping.
Brenna Cooper