By Dr. Sarah Stelzner, Pediatrician at Eskenazi Health

As medical science continues to ramp up its investigation into the dangers of vaping, a recent Federal Drug Administration (FDA) study has revealed yet another reason why it is hazardous to anyone’s health who dares to try it.

In August 2019, the FDA announced they are investigating 127 cases of people suffering from seizures after vaping. The FDA said it’s unclear whether e-cigarettes caused the seizures and cautioned these cases occurred over a 10-year period. The federal agency is encouraging people to report if they had seizures after vaping.

The act of vaping is a common term for smoking electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes that are tobacco products that have been sold in the U.S. for about a decade. They include e-pens, e-pipes, e-hookah, and e-cigars, known collectively as ENDS—electronic nicotine delivery systems. They’re also sometimes called JUULs, "vapes" and "vape pens."

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products among kids these days and it’s become an epidemic. According to the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey, about three million—or 20 percent—of high school students are vaping.

While much remains to be determined about the lasting health consequences of e-cigarettes, there’s evolving evidence about the health risks of e-cigarettes on the lungs—including irreversible lung damage and lung disease.

A recent study from the University of North Carolina found that even in small doses, inhaling the two primary ingredients found in e-cigarettes—propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin—is likely to expose users to a high level of toxins and that the more ingredients a user is inhaling, the greater the toxicity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long had concerns about children and youth vaping, especially because the smoke they inhale contains addictive nicotine and other potentially harmful substances.

In addition to the common dangers of vaping, defective e-cigarette batteries have been known to trigger fires - and in some cases - explosions that have caused serious injuries.

If you have questions about the dangers of e-cigarettes or vaping, speak with your doctor about possible risk factors.

If you are in need of a pediatrician for your child or a primary care physician for yourself, please call 317-880-7666 or visit www.eskenazihealth.edu/doctors.