‘I vaped for one year and almost died'

A Pennsylvania woman, 26, says she lone vaped for 1 twelvemonth earlier her lungs collapsed.

Petrea Mckeithen was 21 erstwhile she took up the habit, she told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview. (See the video astatine the apical of this article.)

"Everybody warned maine astir it, but I didn't perceive — I privation that I did," she said.

SMOKING AND VAPING CAN HAVE THESE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON FERTILITY, DOCTORS WARN

Mckeithen rapidly became addicted to vaping, chiefly owed to the flavor.

"It’s really, earnestly addicting," she said. "You get addicted to the vape clouds and the flavors — it's themed, it's cool. It's similar a rebel benignant of thing, I conjecture you could say."

Petrea Mckeithen (left), was 21 erstwhile she started vaping. A twelvemonth later, she astir died erstwhile some of her lungs collapsed. (Petrea Mckeithen)

In September 2022, astir a twelvemonth later, she abruptly recovered that she couldn’t breathe.

"I had nary anterior health conditions," she said. "The lone happening that was going connected with maine successful the months starring up to my lungs collapsing was that I was having breathing issues and thought possibly I was processing asthma." 

But it wasn’t asthma, her doc said — it was her lungs giving out.

"Everybody warned maine astir it, but I didn't listen."

The condition, called pneumothorax, occurs erstwhile aerial gets wrong the thorax cavity and creates unit against the lung, causing it to illness partially oregon fully, according to Cleveland Clinic.

"Primary spontaneous pneumothorax, oregon collapsed lung, occurs erstwhile determination is simply a spread successful the lung done which oxygen escapes – this tin beryllium the effect of wounded oregon erstwhile aerial blisters connected apical of the lungs rupture and make tiny tears," Dr. David Campbell, objective manager and programme manager astatine Recover Together Bend successful Oregon, told Fox News Digital.

Pneumothorax occurs erstwhile aerial gets wrong the thorax cavity and creates unit against the lung, causing it to illness partially oregon fully. (Petrea Mckeithen)

Among vapers, the information tin beryllium caused by "deep and forceful inhalations" that tin accent the lungs, chemic irritants, oregon vaping with pre-existing lung conditions, according to the expert.

Johns Hopkins reports that they are seeing a rash of collapsed lungs successful younger people, Campbell said — "and they study not smoking, but vaping."

"They often powerfully promote them to discontinue vaping instantly if they privation to debar different lung illness and country successful the future," helium added.

MERCEDES OWNER GOES VIRAL USING VAPE TO TEST VEHICLE'S HIGH-TECH AIR FILTER

Signs of collapsed lungs see crisp thorax oregon enarthrosis pain, shortness of enactment and trouble breathing, according to Campbell.

Lung issues are conscionable 1 of the galore health issues linked to vaping, helium warned. The wont tin besides summation the hazard of bosom illness and stroke, arsenic good arsenic vulnerability to harmful dense metals.

Beating the odds

Mckeithen was life-flighted to the hospital, wherever she was enactment successful a medically induced coma and placed connected extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which helps enactment heart and lung function. 

During her 10-day coma, Mckeithen said she experienced aggravated nightmares that instrumentality with her to this day.

Today, Mckeithen has an 18-month-old son, who she describes arsenic "my full world." (Petrea Mckeithen)

"They don't consciousness similar dreams oregon nightmares — they consciousness similar memories," she told Fox News Digital. "Those nightmares were 10 days of maine dying implicit and implicit successful the astir excruciating, achy ways."

Doctors told Mckeithen’s household that she had conscionable a 3% accidental of endurance — but against the odds, she pulled through. 

HOW TO QUIT VAPING AS THE E-CIGARETTE FAD FIRES UP: 6 SMART STEPS TO TAKE

After getting retired of ICU, Mckeithen underwent carnal therapy and gradually improved — though she present lives with chronic asthma and "vaper’s lung," a respiratory information besides known arsenic EVALI (e-cigarette oregon vaping merchandise use-associated lung injury).

"People deliberation that due to the fact that you're blowing retired clouds, it's conscionable going successful and out," said Mckeithen (not pictured). "But that liquid really sits connected your lungs and really drowns them." (iStock)

"I instrumentality medicine daily," she said. "I person to beryllium truly cautious astir the situation — I cheque the aerial prime each time earlier I leave, and if it is beneath wherever I americium comfy with, I volition not permission my home."

Mckeithen’s lungs are peculiarly susceptible to immoderate benignant of respiratory infection.

"I person to beryllium truly cautious astir who I interact with, due to the fact that you ne'er cognize who is carrying a sickness," she said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP      

"If it gets to the constituent wherever it was before, wherever I commencement to not respire precise well, I person to beryllium admitted to the infirmary immediately."

"It's conscionable thing that I person to unrecorded with for the remainder of my life."

"My household has terrible trauma from watching maine combat for my life," Mckeithen, pictured with her son, told Fox News Digital. (Petrea Mckeithen)

Today, Mckeithen has an 18-month-old son, who she describes arsenic "my full world."

"My doctors were truly acrophobic due to the fact that I wasn't expected to get pregnant," she said. 

"They gave maine options for termination … but I wanted to pursue the pregnancy due to the fact that I had ever wanted to beryllium a mother. It's ever been my dream."

‘Not worthy it’

After her near-death experience, Mckeithen’s ngo is to rise consciousness astir the dangers of vaping, particularly for younger people.

"It doesn't substance if you're underage, you tin inactive get them — and it's truly terrifying," she said. 

"People deliberation they're safer for you than cigarettes. I thought that, and I was truthful wrong. It's truly scary."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

When idiosyncratic vapes, they are ingesting a liquid, Mckeithen said.

"People deliberation that due to the fact that you're blowing retired clouds, it's conscionable going successful and out," she said. "But that liquid really sits connected your lungs and really drowns them."

"Seeing teenagers vaping breaks my heart."

Recently, Mckeithen said she approached a radical of young teenagers erstwhile she saw them vaping successful a store, sharing her acquisition arsenic a cautionary tale.

"I showed them my pictures, and I was like, don't bash that," she said. "I cognize it’s astir apt not my place, but they were truly young and I conscionable wanted to support them. Seeing teenagers vaping breaks my heart."

For much Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

Overall, Mckeithen said, vaping is simply "not worthy it."

"It's not cool, it’s not fun. At the extremity of the day, erstwhile I look backmost connected it, my household has terrible trauma from watching maine combat for my life."