Young Mom’s Vaping Habit Leads to Rare Lung Disease

A young mother in Florida feared she was having a heart attack when she woke up gasping for air with sharp chest pains. Cloey Eyes, 25, had been vaping nonstop for two years after switching from cigarettes. Scans revealed she had bronchiolitis obliterans, or ’popcorn lung,’ caused by inflammation and scarring in her airways. Doctors also found oily vape fluid accumulating in her lungs, a dangerous side effect of her heavy vaping habit.

Eyes described the terrifying moment she struggled to breathe, hitting her chest to try to regain air. Medical tests showed oil pockets in both lungs, though doctors couldn’t determine the full extent of the damage. The condition, linked to chemicals like diacetyl in vape flavors, can cause chronic coughing, shortness of breath, and even require lung transplants in severe cases. Physicians warned there is no effective treatment beyond supportive care while the lungs heal.

The mother of five admitted to using disposable vapes excessively, puffing over 300 times daily. Although she knew vaping wasn’t healthy, she continued, believing it was better than smoking. After her hospitalization, Eyes was prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler, with doctors estimating a year-long recovery. She has now quit vaping entirely and urges others to avoid the dangerous habit.

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