Teen Blames Lung Collapse On His Vaping Habits

A teen whose lung collapsed earlier in the summer blamed the health scare on his vaping habit.

The health scare hit 18-year-old Chance Ammirata, who suffered the medical emergency at the end of July. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, causing Ammirata to fear he was “genuinely having a heart attack.” Ammirata was promptly rushed to a nearby hospital, where it was discovered that his lung was the source of the pain.

“I would say my chest felt like it was collapsing and tightening up and I couldn't breathe,” Ammirata said during an interview with CBS News. “I just freaked out – they said, ‘Your lung has collapsed. You have to go to surgery right now.’”

After emergency surgery, Ammirata went under the knife two days later to repair the hole in his lung. The doctor also told him that the inflammation in his lungs that contributed to the scare likely came from something he was inhaling.

Ammirata then took to Instagram to share his story, revealing that he believes the medical problem arose from his vaping habit. He began using Juul e-cigarettes when he was 16 and has used them regularly since. However, after his scare, he revealed on Instagram that he had already ditched the e-cig.

Along with his story, Ammirata shared a picture of himself in the hospital during his stay, along with the #LungLove to encourage others to throw away their e-cigs.

It’s also another example of the reported 94 cases of severe lung illnesses the CDC and state health departments are investigating that may be linked with vaping. The cases have all been linked to teens, ages 16 to 18, who vape and suddenly come down with life-threatening lung damage in a short amount of time.

However, it isn’t clear if the lung damage suffered is related to the physical vape or the substance being inhaled.