Hype or Not

Here is a summary of a story that is making the rounds through tabloids and some mainstream newspapers. This was taken from The U.S. Sun.

A MODEL says she has been left disabled by excessive vaping.

Vanessa von Schwarz, 20, said she started at 15 and would become anxious and nauseous if she went without a puff.

In 2018 she developed migraines and consistent nausea after just a few hours without a hit.

“I couldn’t lift my neck up when I was laying down, and when I’d fall because my legs would give out due to weakness, I couldn’t get up from the ground.” She said: “For some reason when I started vaping, naivety assured me my whole life was changing.

“Despite the intention, the effects on the body can be severe and my case is not the first or the last of this kind.”

Vanessa, has given up for good but still suffers from dermatomyositis, which can also cause swelling and a rash.

Okay, a couple things about this article.

1. Dermatomyositis is a rare disease that causes muscle inflammation and skin rash. It’s one of a group of muscle diseases that cause muscle inflammation and swelling. t can occur at any age, but it most often affects adults ages 50 to 70. Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with the disease. (John Hopkins)
   • The exact cause is not known, but possible causes include:
     • Abnormal genes you are born with
     • Cancer, especially in older people
     • Autoimmune disease, a type of illness that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues
     • An infection, medication, or another exposure in your environment that triggers the disease
2. Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, her father, is a clinician researcher and has written a report on his daughter’s case.

Dermatomyositis is an idiopathic condition that has no one, single, cause. As mentioned above, it could be caused by genetics, cancer, or some kind of exposure or infection. Let’s look at exposure as an avenue for this case. As Vanessa was a teenager when she started vaping, she may have acquired her vapes from a bad actor that sold her something that was not properly manufactured. Contaminants could have made their way into the product that she was using and caused her condition.

I’m sure her father has ruled out genetic markers that would lead to the condition and is looking for something to blame for her condition. Even medical professionals can have their research clouded when family are involved. Like anyone, he is looking for answers for why his little girl has this disease and vaping makes for a great scapegoat because it has so many unknowns when it comes the long term affects on our health.

I’m viewing the circulation of Vanessa’s story as the continued war on vaping. I don’t blame her father for singling out her habit as a possible vector for her ailment, but would like to see more verifiable evidence that this is the case. I will look into the studies her father has published and update this article if warranted.

To be perfectly clear, I don’t endorse the use of vape products by underage individuals. Vaping is still a viable way to quit smoking for those who are addicted to nicotine but articles such as this one demonize their use.

Yes, we need regulations on the product.

Yes, we need to keep vapes out of hands of minors.

However, we need to keep vaping available to those who will benefit from their use. The continued war on vaping is causing more harm than good for those seeking help with their addiction. The industry is regulated and safer than in the past (some harmful chemicals have been eliminated from the manufacturing process). What we need is less fear mongering and more unbiased research.

Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons