Mom was addicted to vaping until habit caused lung damage

A 30-year-old Tennessee mom who picked up vaping early in the COVID-19 pandemic claims the habit nearly killed her, with a doctor reportedly saying it was “frying [her] lungs like hot chicken.”

Hannah Roth began to hear a “popping” sound in her lungs last month, and she developed a fever of 104 degrees. Scans in the emergency room reportedly revealed lungs similar to someone in their 80s or a decadeslong smoker.

“The doctor came in and showed me my X-ray and said, ‘Do you vape?’ And he said, ‘That’s why you have pneumonia,’” Roth, of Newport, recalled to Kennedy News.

“He told me that if I kept on [vaping] then I was going to die pretty much,” she added. “He took my vape out of my purse and threw it in the trash can.”

The mom of two boys said she had never smoked before but started vaping four years ago amid stressful pandemic lockdowns. Soon, she was vaping “every hour of the day” as her addiction grew.

Then last month, Roth was at her receptionist job when she started getting chills. She had a fever, and she heard the popping sound when she took a breath.

“I thought I may have bronchitis because my chest hurt really bad,” she explained. “That went on for a few days, and then I went to the doctors, and they said I had the flu and gave me medicine.”

She said her mom urged her to go to the hospital, where an X-ray reportedly showed an obstruction in her right lung.

“It looks like a tree with branches. It’s called ‘tree budding,’ and it’s basically the deterioration of your lung,” Roth shared. “It’s not supposed to happen unless you’re a really heavy smoker.”

Roth said she had no idea that was a potential side effect of vaping, which is the act of using a hand-held device to inhale vapor that contains nicotine. Other side effects include dry mouth and throat, shortness of breath, headaches and nausea.

With her 7- and 10-year-old sons in mind, Roth said she has refused to touch a vape since the doctor threw hers away.

“The doctor said if I stop vaping, my lungs will be able to heal as long as I don’t vape anymore,” Roth said. “I still get cravings for the vape, but I chew a lot of gum and that helps. Overall, I feel a lot healthier, and I’m saving money now too because I’m not buying a vape every week.”

She counsels others to quit vaping or avoid trying it altogether.

“Even if you think you have control over it, sometimes you just don’t,” she advised.