Super-fit gym fanatic dismissed chest pain as ‘trapped wind’ – in reality, vaping had caused his lung to collapse

Sports fanatic Paul Cowling initially dismissed the sudden chest pain he experienced while chain-smoking at his desk as a simple case of “trapped farts.”

However, the 32-year-old man was later forced to crawl to the emergency room in pain, as the real culprit was a collapsed lung caused by his frequent use of the devices.

The IT consultant later discovered that his vaping habit had thinned the outer layer of his lungs, creating a bubble on the outside that then burst, causing the organ to deflate like a balloon.

The previously fit and active Mr Cowling, who went to the gym two to three times a week, said he became a social smoker in 2015 but started vaping in 2019.

Being able to work from home meant the avid hiker could easily smoke four or five disposable vapes a week, as he could vape all day at his desk.

“I found over time that vaping is much easier, especially when you’re stressed. If you have a cigarette, you’ll go outside and have a cigarette. With vaping, you can just sit there and chain-vape and keep going. I went through four or five disposable vapes in a seven-day week,” he told the Mirror.

Mr Cowling is now on the road to recovery and says he wants to talk about his experiences to warn others about the dangers of vaping.

The ordeal began when Mr Cowling was sitting at his desk vaping, just like any other workday, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right side.

He thought it was trapped air and started taking over-the-counter medications to treat the mild ailment.

But when he started having trouble breathing, he sought help from his family doctor, who after an examination told Mr. Cowling that he most likely had a collapsed lung and that he should go to the emergency room immediately.

On his way to the emergency room at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Greater Manchester, Mr Cowling had to crawl because of the severe pain he was experiencing.

An X-ray showed that the GP’s suspicion was correct: his right lung had collapsed.

Doctors attempted to re-inflate the lung by inserting a small tube into his chest, pumping air into the organ, but this was unsuccessful.

Instead, Mr Cowling had to undergo major surgery to save the organ.

Fortunately, this worked, because the doctors used a special kind of medical powder to stick the lung back to the rib cage, giving the lung enough support to re-inflate.

The surgeons also removed the exploded air sac on the outside of the lung.

Mr Cowling explained: ‘The damage that smoking and vaping does is that the walls of your lungs thin out and they develop air sacs outside the lungs. The moment I took the vape, one of those bubbles burst and my lung collapsed. Because it happened so suddenly, it took a blood vessel with it.’

However, doctors have told him that 30 percent of cases recur with his lungs, due to the degree of wear and tear on the organs.

Mr Cowling has since vowed never to touch an e-cigarette again.

“It put me off vaping forever. I haven’t touched one since and the surgeon gave me a stern warning. I was very upset and emotional thinking about what I had done to myself. The doctor told me I had the lungs of a heavy smoker and I was really shocked to hear that. Before this happened to me I was a very active, healthy person. I was an avid walker and I can’t do that now,” he said.

Despite NHS chiefs insisting it is safer than smoking, vaping is not without risk. E-cigarettes contain harmful toxins and their long-term effects remain a mystery.

Experts fear that the high nicotine content could raise blood pressure and cause other heart problems.

Doctors fear that in the coming decades there could be a wave of lung diseases, dental problems and even cancer in people who start smoking at a young age.

In April, a shocking study warned that e-cigarettes could increase the risk of heart failure.

Another suggestion is that vaping causes cell changes that could lead to cancer.

Earlier this year, MailOnline also reported that the number of vaping side effects reported to UK regulators has now passed 1,000, five of which have been fatal.

E-cigarettes and vapes allow people to inhale nicotine in the form of vapor. This vapor is produced by heating a liquid, which typically contains propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings, and other chemicals.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, they do not contain tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon – two of the most dangerous elements.

Although vaping is generally considered safer than smoking, its long-term effects are still a mystery.

Doctors fear that people who start smoking at a young age could face lung diseases, dental problems and even cancer in the coming decades.

Last year, leading pediatricians also warned that children were being hospitalized with respiratory problems due to vaping, amid a “concerning” epidemic among young people who were vaping.

NHS figures show the number of children admitted to hospital due to vaping has increased.

Last year, 40 children and young people in England were admitted to hospital for “vaping-related illnesses”, including lung damage or worsening asthma symptoms, up from 11 two years earlier, the NHS said.

This website has previously exposed the predatory tactics of some candy stores selling capes, including products that resemble popular candy brands like Skittles and Jolly Ranchers.