Doctors have released shocking new images that reveal the damaging effects vaping and using e-cigarettes can have on our lungs, Insider reported.
As the number of possible vaping-related illnesses continue to grow, health officials are still struggling to understand just what exactly is causing this baffling epidemic and are discouraging others from using these devices.
There have also been six confirmed deaths as a result of the mysterious illness, which sees patients experience coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, and vomiting.
"While the investigation is on going, CDC has advised that individuals consider not using e-cigarettes, because as of now, this is the primary means of preventing the severe lung disease," CDC official Dr. Dana Meaney-Deman told Insider.
However, health officials have noticed the symptoms appear to pop up a few days or even weeks after people use vapes or e-cigarettes. Some have even admitted to vaping for years before falling ill.
Some researchers have found that the injuries could be related to inhaling oils in the "e-juice," which is the vaporized substance that sends nicotine or THC into the lungs.
As seen in the scan above, the right lung is normal while the left is surrounded by air. The patient had a collapsed lung, which allows for air to leak into the space between the chest wall and the lung, making it extremely difficult to breathe.
"I can't prove to you this was related to vaping," Khan said, though he admitted he has a feeling the patient's newly-purchased marijuana device may have played a role in the serious injury.
"It's on the verge of becoming a public health crisis," he said. "When I'm seeing these people, it means they're needing surgery. That's pretty dramatic."
As reported in the The New England Journal of Medicine, pediatric pulmonary hospital chief Melody Pirzada said this patient had to be connected to life support.
"With the great work of our ICU team, we were able to save this patient," she said. "But once you come to this point, the chance of dying can be as high as 70%."
The former vape enthusiastic shared the photos of the partial collapse and black dots and alleged both were due to smoking using a vaping device.
However, health experts say it's difficult to prove with absolute certainity that vaping is the cause of his injuries. However, this uncertainty doesn't mean vaping is by any means safe.
"There is no doubt that vaping is doing stuff to people," Professor Robert Tarran at the University of North Carolina Marisco Lung Institute said, "but it's not clear what."
