What Is EVALI?

EVALI, also known under the name of e-cigarette and vaping associated lung injury, is a relatively newly-discovered (roughly 2019) and serious health condition, remarkable due to the fact that it is solely caused by the use of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices and the aerosols they expel.

This new respiratory condition has been linked to a significant number of deaths, and there was an epidemic a few years ago, with the number of cases spiking during the latter parts of the year 2019.

In this article, we will go over the relatively brief history of EVALI, what its symptoms are, what treatments are available for it and how it can become deadly, in order to answer the question posed in the article’s title: what is EVALI?

EVALI: Origins And History

It is worth noting that prior to the year 2019, EVALI was not yet discovered as a new, unique health condition of the respiratory system, and may have been often mistaken for other respiratory conditions in the past, prior to its discovery.

The first handful of cases of e-cigarette and vape associated lung injury were reported approximately in mid-2019, in the United States. Patients showed up to hospitals and emergency rooms complaining of shortness of breath alongside other symptoms.

By the end of 2019, thousands of cases had been documented and the new health condition has had the term EVALI coined for its name, due to the strong link between e-cigarette and vape use and this new, dangerous health condition.

A concerningly high number of cases required hospitalization in order for the patients to make a recovery, and in a significant number of cases, the condition has resulted in death, mostly due to lack of proper oxygen supply to the body due to reduced respiratory functions.

Multiple health agencies and watchdog groups and organizations, following the lead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have then started researching this new and highly concerning illness, worried about the implications it might have.

Since then, research has shown that there is an undeniable link between vaping and e-cigarette use and the condition itself, on account of the toxic chemicals and substances found in vape and e-cig products.

Symptoms Of EVALI

The answer to the question “what is EVALI?” can be found in the symptoms of this respiratory condition, because the way in which this condition manifests itself sets it apart from other, older respiratory conditions, and makes it somewhat easier to diagnose and avoid misdiagnosis.

There are three groups of symptoms specific to EVALI, with these groups being respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and constitutional symptoms.

The respiratory symptoms of EVALI include shortness of breath, wheezing of the lungs and airways, coughing and pains in the chest. In some cases, mechanical ventilation may be necessary in order to keep the patient alive if they are experiencing severe hypoxia (lack of oxygen).

In terms of gastrointestinal symptoms, many patients have reported experiencing vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea as a result of suffering from EVALI. In some cases, GI symptoms appear before respiratory ones do, and can be an early sign of EVALI onset.

Constitutional symptoms include fatigue, fever, weight loss and chills. Sometimes, the presence of these symptoms may lead to misdiagnosis, on account of these symptoms overlapping with symptoms of other illnesses such as COVID-19 or Influenza.

Diagnosis is done in four main steps, in order to ensure that it is indeed EVALI that the patient is suffering from, and not a different but similar respiratory health condition.

The first step involves taking a look at the patient’s history, particularly in terms of them using e-cigarettes or other vape products, and finding out the frequency and duration of use, as well as the chemicals contained in the products they use.

Secondly, a thorough clinical examination of the patient is concluded, wherein the patient is checked for respiratory, GI and constitutional symptoms of EVALI.

Chest X-ray imaging and CT scans are then used in order to search for and identify abnormalities in the lungs, such as ground-glass opacities appearing on the imaging results, which are indicative of EVALI as a condition.

Finally, blood tests check for possible infections and inflammations, as well as checking the oxygen levels present in the patient’s blood.

How EVALI Is Treated, And How It Can Kill

The immediate stopping of e-cig and vape usage is very important in order to heighten the chance of successful treatment and recovery from EVALI.

Supportive care, such as supplemental oxygen administration through mechanical ventilation for those with hypoxia, and hydration for those suffering severe GI symptoms, is also a possible part of the treatment process.

Corticosteroids are often administered in order to curb the lung tissue inflammation which results from EVALI. The length of required treatment with these corticosteroids depends on the amount of damage sustained by the patient’s lungs.

EVALI typically kills through hypoxia, as organs sustain damage from inadequate oxygen supply, eventually leading to death if left untreated or if the condition does not improve on its own.

Although EVALI primarily kills, when it does so, through its respiratory symptoms and effects, it can also kill through dehydration in the case of severe GI symptoms which result in chronic diarrhea.

Additionally, EVALI can also hinder the body’s immune system, resulting in secondary infections having an easier time settling in and damaging the body, which can potentially be deadly in the case of some viruses and bacteria.

Conclusion

Vaping is not safe. In fact, as can be observed from the facts mentioned above, it can be downright deadly. This is why it is important to do our research before we put new things into our bodies.

There are actually safe alternatives to vaping, and pursuing those while quitting vaping should be something every vape user aspires to do, in order to maintain good health.

Thank you for reading, and until next time, take care. I wish you the best of health and a safe and happy life.