Man, 29, who woke with ‘stabbing pains’ shocked when ‘heart attack’ turns out to be ‘vaping injury’
A FISHERMAN feared he was dying from a heart attack – only for doctors to say vaping had caused his lung to collapse.
Jordan Snowdon woke up unable to breathe with a sharp pain in his chest on March 28, before falling onto his bedroom floor.
The 29-year-old believed he was having a heart attack, but after being rushed to the Sunderland Royal Hospital and undergoing an emergency X-ray, doctors confirmed his right lung had caved in.
He then had a 6ml drain inserted into his chest before being blue-lighted to Newcastle Freeman Hospital, where surgeons performed keyhole surgery to reinflate his lung.
Jordan said he had swapped cigarettes for vapes five years ago and would sometimes experience a “cold air” sensation down his throat.
But like many people, he shrugged this off.
Initially, he vaped sporadically as he enjoyed the flavour of e-cigarettes.
But from 2022, he claims his habit intensified out of boredom and he would never be seen without a device in his hand.
When his lung collapsed, Jordan feared he would die and now he’s terrified the incident will have “life-changing” implications.
He is now warning others to not follow the “fashion trend” of vaping and says he wishes he had never done it in the first place.
Jordan, from Silksworth, Tyne and Wear, said: “I’d gone to my mum’s house that morning and I felt tired so I went and laid down on the bed in my old room and dropped off to sleep.
“I woke up with a sharp pain. It felt like someone had gripped my heart so I shouted for my mum.
“I couldn’t talk or breathe properly and I hit the floor. I thought I was having a heart attack.
“I rang 111 and my heart was racing. It felt like my heart was being squeezed and I couldn’t breathe.
“I was so scared and I thought I was going to die at this point.”
Jordan was rushed to hospital where an X-ray confirmed his right lung had collapsed.
“I started crying my eyes out,” he added.
“Doctors said it was one of the worst lung collapses they had ever seen.
“They described it as when you get a crisp packet and suck it in – that is what my lung looked like.
“I mentioned vaping and they said I fit all three of the categories for a spontaneous lung collapse. I’m tall, skinny and I’m a smoker.
“They said this happened because of vaping.
“I’m a carp angler and I love fishing as it helps my mental health and I thought I’d never be able to do this again.”
What happened is life-changing. It’s devastating
Jordan
Following his operation, Jordan had a 12ml suction drain inserted into his chest to help keep his lung inflated.
He then safely discharged himself on April 15 and is now recovering at home. He claims his lung could take months to heal.
Jordan said: “What happened is life-changing. It’s devastating. I love being outdoors.
“I’m still waiting for my lung to heal two weeks after my operation.
“Doctors said it could take weeks, months or even years, it just depends.
“I have not smoked for three weeks now and they said if I do it will cause infection.
“People need to put the vapes down and stop smoking. It’s a fashion sense at the moment.
“People are just vaping because their friends are or they just like the flavour.
“They are not looking at the hazards of it. If I knew this could have happened I would never have touched a vape in my life.”
Smoking causes more than seven in 10 lung cancer cases in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK, but the long-term health impacts of vaping remain unknown.
Research suggests e-cigarettes are one of the best ways for smokers to quit, but the government is planning to tax vapes and ban certain flavours and packaging to put children off.
UK vaping law plans
MINISTERS have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them.
New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in late 2024 or early 2025.
They are set to include:
- Higher tax rates paid on vapes to increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them
- A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged
- A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters
- Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy
- More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight
- Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced plans to impose a tax on on imported e-cigs and manufacturers, making vapes more expensive.
The duty will apply to the liquid in vapes, with higher levels for products with more nicotine.