A young mother of five from Florida says she was left shocked and terrified after doctors revealed the true damage vaping had caused to her lungs — injuries resembling the severe and irreversible condition commonly referred to as “popcorn lung.”
Cloey Eyes, 25, had initially turned to disposable vapes in August 2023 after three years of smoking cigarettes. Like many others, she believed vaping was a “cleaner” and less harmful alternative. What she didn’t realize was that in less than two years, her decision would send her to the emergency room fighting for her breath.
On July 12, 2025, Cloey woke in the middle of the night with a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. At first, she feared she was experiencing a heart attack.
“I woke up at 2:30 in the morning with stabbing pain in my chest. I couldn’t catch my breath, and I had to hit myself in the chest multiple times just to be able to breathe,” she recalled. “It honestly felt like I was slowly suffocating.”
At the hospital, scans revealed something more alarming than a cardiac issue: Cloey’s lungs had sustained severe injuries consistent with popcorn lung as well as a dangerous “oil pocket” coating her left lung.
“Doctors told me there was oil surrounding both of my lungs. Hearing that was terrifying,” Cloey said. “The oil was from the vape. Every time I inhaled, it thickened and attached itself to my lungs. Technically, at that point, I had popcorn lung — that’s what they call it here.”
Popcorn lung, or bronchiolitis obliterans, is a condition marked by scarring and narrowing of the small airways in the lungs, causing shortness of breath, wheezing, and long-term respiratory complications.
Doctors prescribed Cloey a combination of antibiotics, a cough suppressant, and an inhaler, warning that recovery could take up to a year or longer depending on how her lungs heal. She was also strongly advised to quit vaping immediately.
“I used to vape every single day, nonstop. It was worse than cigarettes because it was always right there, always easy to grab,” Cloey admitted. “But after what I went through, I would never pick up a vape again — especially as a mom. Since quitting, I feel ten times better. I can breathe more easily, and I don’t feel constantly out of breath like before.”
Medical experts have long sounded the alarm about the risks of vaping, particularly with disposable e-cigarettes that often contain high concentrations of nicotine and harmful additives. One documented risk is lipoid pneumonia, caused when inhaled oils accumulate in the lungs, leading to inflammation and scarring.
Some countries, including the United Kingdom, have already banned disposable vapes due to mounting evidence of their dangers and their rising popularity among young people. In the United States, health officials continue to investigate the long-term effects, but cases like Cloey’s highlight just how quickly serious damage can develop.
Now, Cloey is using her painful experience to warn others — especially parents and young adults — about the hidden risks of vaping.
“Even if you don’t go through what I went through, the chemicals in these things are probably knocking ten years off your life,” she cautioned. “I just turned 25, and to think I could have lost my life to vaping — it’s simply not worth it.”
Her story is a sobering reminder that what may seem like a safer alternative to cigarettes can carry devastating consequences.
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