TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 40-year-old Taiwanese man has been diagnosed with pneumonia linked to vaping, just one year after he started using e-cigarettes.
In a Facebook post shared on Monday (Feb. 8), Taiwanese physician Su I-feng (蘇一峰) said he recently treated a patient who he believes was the first adult in the country to develop vaping-associated pneumonia. He said the patient had been smoking regular tobacco for two decades and only switched to e-cigarettes last year.
According to Su, the patient sought medical attention after experiencing symptoms of coughing, shortness of breath, and abdominal distention. He was diagnosed with regular pneumonia and hospitalized three times by a number of different doctors.
Despite having received steroid therapy, the man's condition continued to worsen and he began to have difficulty climbing stairs without gasping for air. His weight also dropped nearly 10 kilograms in the one year since he started vaping.
After close examination, Su determined that the man had been suffering from lipoid pneumonia and that his vital capacity had declined by 40 percent. Su said he had reported the case to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Su also mentioned that the man was smoking e-cigarettes manufactured in the U.S. to refute online rumors that vaping-associated pneumonia could only be caused by subpar vaping juice and devices. He warned of the serious health consequences of e-cigarette use and urged the public to stay away from it.
