In the last month or so, fifteen cases of teens or young adults suffering from serious lung problems—all of which occurred, patients reported, after recently vaping—have cropped up in the Midwest. This has led to some speculation that the health side effects of JUUL and other e-cigarettes may include vaping heart and lung problems.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) located in Madison, it is studying a group of 12 confirmed cases of respiratory issues. Thirteen more such cases are under investigation.

Patients, including teens who vape, have experienced a slew of symptoms, WDHS reports, including:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Cough
• Anorexia
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss

Patients reportedly experienced these symptoms over a period of several days, the symptoms worsening over time, before requiring hospital admission for treatment. As of yet, physicians are not sure what has led to the severity of these symptoms, but potential factors are patient age combined with the contents of the e-cigarette vapor they inhale through vaping.

The specific vaping products used are currently unknown, but each one of these patients did report vaping in the weeks and months leading up to their hospital admission.

Counties in Wisconsin affected by these issues include:

• Dodge
• Door
• Racine
• Walworth
• Waukesha
• Winnebago

In Illinois, three young people from a similar age demographics have also reportedly been hospitalized due to respiratory problems connected with vaping, according to a statement earlier this month from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

While it is still too early to draw conclusions about what is causing these recent causes of respiratory issues, the only common thread between each of the cases that has been discovered is that each of these patients has reported vaping recently.

The health side effects of JUUL pods and other e-cigarette products have not fully been explored yet. Because the phenomenon is relatively new, but so rapidly growing, long-term outcomes are still unknown, which has the potential to create long-lasting or even permanent lung damage in countless e-cigarette users.

Young people in particular, whose lungs are still developing in mid-adolescence, may be at risk of more of these emerging potential health side effects of JUUL. In 2018, 3.62 million middle and high school students reported being current users of e-cigarettes according to the FDA.

Filing a JUUL Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from health side effects of JUUL, such as lung or heart injuries, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot undo the pain and suffering caused by such complications, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.

Filing a lawsuit can be daunting, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.