Woman lost the ability to speak and read due to vaping (3 photos)

Thirty-four-year-old Lydia Ward vaped for years before a horrific incident forced her to quit. E-cigarettes were originally created as a way to help smokers quit. However, in many countries, they have become more popular than regular cigarettes, which has only exacerbated the problem.





Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it can lead to serious health problems, such as bronchiolitis ("popcorn sickness") and difficulty breathing.

Lydia, a mother of two, vaped for many years. But one day, her vision became blurry. She feared she was having a stroke.

The American woman recounted: “I took a few drags on a cigarette, and suddenly everything around me started swimming. It was like there was a cloudy glass before my eyes. I felt strange. I called my mom because the kids were home, and I was afraid I'd faint. I told her, 'I feel sick, something's wrong.' She lives across the street and quickly came to see me. I confessed, 'My head is spinning.'”



Lydia glanced at her phone and couldn't make out anything. “I couldn't remember how to read,” she said.

For about ten minutes, the woman couldn't concentrate.

"Mom, I can't make out what's written here," she said to her mother.

She felt fear and realized she needed to seek help immediately.

I felt exhausted, my words were slurred, and my sentences were difficult to form.

"I was so scared I thought, 'Is this a stroke?'"

Lydia couldn't remember the names and faces of her loved ones.



At the hospital, she was told she didn't have a stroke, but was warned that vaping could cause a drop in blood pressure. This caused temporary vision and memory problems.

The woman quit smoking and now urges others to be careful when using e-cigarettes.

"People often don't think about the consequences of vaping. This story scared me so much that I went to the hospital. Imagine waking up and not being able to express simple thoughts. I was afraid I'd lose my normal life."