'Below Deck' Star Fraser Olender Details Scary Hospitalization Caused by Vaping
Below Deck star Fraser Olender is sharing a very important health update and a warning to others.
The 33-year-old Bravo star took to Instagram on Friday (December 5) to share that he was hospitalized for a heart attack and lung injury caused by vaping.
He said he was rushed to the hospital a few weeks ago due to breathing difficulties and severe chest pains. After that, he spent a week in London hospitals to determine the cause.
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“To keep it simple – I had vape poisoning, (an E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)) and I have never experienced fear or pain like it,” Fraser wrote.
“Whatever was in my vape caused me to have a coronary artery vasospasm. Medically, that means the arteries supplying blood to my heart suddenly clamped down. That spasm reduced blood flow enough to cause an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), better known as a heart attack – not because of a blockage, but because my heart wasn’t getting enough oxygen during the spasm,” he explained.
Fraser shared the news alongside some photos of him from the hospital, including shirtless pics that show is torso dotted with a bunch of sensors and a few of his different scan/test results.
The reality star said he’s glad to be recovering and hasn’t had a vape since it happened, and “never will” again.
“The pain I endured for 24 hours was inexplicable, 2 rounds of morphine didn’t touch the sides and eventually had to be given the strongest pain relief legal to administer in ER – and that only brought my pain from a 10 to a 7,” said Fraser.
“If this experience can help even one person rethink vaping, it’s worth telling,” he added.
