One woman’s vaping addiction landed her in the hospital with a rare lung condition that doctors warned could make her dependent on an oxygen machine before the age of 30.
Abby Flynn, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, had never smoked a cigarette before but started using e-cigarettes in the summer of 2021 because they were ‘new’.
She quickly became addicted to the devices and had to destroy an entire cartridge of vape liquid every day – equivalent to 140 cigarettes a week.
But one morning she gasped for air after a cough she developed when she started vaping became uncontrollable.
Tests at the hospital showed the 20-year-old had developed “popcorn lung” – irreversible lung damage that can be fatal if left untreated.
Miss Flynn vowed never to vape again after doctors told her of the life-changing consequences she would face if she didn’t quit.
In January, Abby Flynn (pictured above) woke up to find she couldn’t breathe properly and went to Milton Keynes Hospital’s walk-in centre. The doctors then diagnosed bronchiolitis obliterans – or “popcorn lung”.
Miss Flynn has never smoked a cigarette but only started using e-cigarettes 18 months ago because they were ‘new’. She quickly became addicted to the device and found herself destroying an entire cartridge of vape liquid every day – equivalent to 140 cigarettes a week
Miss Flynn bought two disposable vapes for £9 every time she was in a corner shop, costing her £135 a month. She would smoke a variety of sweet scents, including bubble gum.
“When I started, it was a trend that was going around — everyone had a disposable vape,” she said.
“I’ve had asthma since I was about nine or ten years old. I started vaping a year and a half ago. I had never smoked before so I literally switched to vaping right away.
“I had it in my hand while I was driving. I would sleep and wake up and it would be in my hand. It just stuck with me the whole time.”
But the former supermarket employee suddenly developed a persistent cough after taking e-cigarettes.
It nibbled at first, but over the course of 18 months the cough gradually overtook me.
And in January, Miss Flynn woke up to find she couldn’t breathe properly and went to Milton Keynes Hospital’s walk-in centre.
She says: “I lay panicked in the contact point and cried because I couldn’t catch my breath. I couldn’t walk and my cough was just terrible.
“It was really scary. At first I didn’t know what was going on, I knew I had asthma, but it wasn’t a feeling of an asthma attack.’
She was quickly revived by medics, given oxygen and an X-ray.
Doctors then diagnosed her with bronchiolitis obliterans – or “popcorn lung.”
She added: “They asked if I used disposable vapes. They said I have many air sacs in my lungs, which they call “popcorn lung”.
The condition is a rare form of lung disease caused by inflammation in the bronchioles – the smallest airways in the lungs – which become scarred.
Scientists have suggested that there may be a link between the disease and a chemical called diacetyl. However, further research is needed.
Some liquids in e-cigarettes used to contain diacetyl, but in the UK the chemical was banned in e-cigarette liquids in 2016 under the EU Tobacco Products Directive.
Cancer Research UK says no confirmed cases of popcorn lung disease have been reported in people using e-cigarettes.
In addition to toxic chemicals, infections and autoimmune diseases can also cause popcorn lung. It is unclear how many people suffer from the rare disease.
Signs include cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue, fever, night sweats and rash.
It is named after a group of popcorn factory workers in Missouri who developed the condition after inhaling fumes from the butter flavoring added to the popcorn, which contained diacetyl.
Doctors may prescribe steroids and an inhaler to reduce inflammation and help breathing. In severe cases, a lung transplant may be necessary.
Those affected require lifelong care to manage their symptoms and are advised to avoid air pollution, cigarette smoke and sick people.
Miss Flynn has vowed never to touch a vape again and hopes her experience will be the wake-up call someone else needs
In recent years, e-cigarettes have become a popular tool to help people quit smoking.
But dozens of studies have warned that vaping can cause serious damage to the lungs and heart, just like smoking regular cigarettes.
In 2021, the government presented controversial plans prescribing vaping to discourage people from smoking regularly.
Miss Flynn claimed doctors told her that if she didn’t kick the habit “within a year or two” she would be forced to quit by the time she was 30.
“It was a bit of a wake-up call,” she said.
“The doctor said it’s normal for young people to use disposable vaporizers.”
She added: “I was quite shocked because all my friends vape, all 18-25, a lot of people carry disposable vapers with them at all times.
“To have it happen to me and not someone else I know, I was like ‘What?’
After a few hours in the hospital, she was discharged and told to take steroids every morning until a month later for a breast health exam.
Miss Flynn has vowed never to touch a vape again and hopes her experience will be the wake-up call someone else needs.
She said: “I think it shocked a lot of people, my best friend threw her vape away as soon as I got to the hospital.
“I think a lot of people think it’s not going to happen to them.
“It’s really not worth vaping. I now fight with my chest every day and I know many other people do too and still vape.”
She added: “I would encourage people to throw their vaporizers in the bin. I know a lot of people use them for stress relief because they give you a nicotine boost, which is all good, but just reduce how much you use.
“I think because it’s always in your hand, it’s not like a cigarette where you light it, and that’s why people use it so much.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
