Can the toxic fumes from Teflon pans give you the flu? You may not have heard of it, but this strange illness has afflicted many Americans. The Daily Mail reports that Teflon flu (also known as polymer fume fever) hospitalized more than 250 Americans last year. Symptoms of the disease include headaches, body aches, fever, chills, and shivers.
Why are we at increased risk for Teflon flu? As the name suggests, improper use of Teflon cookware can make you more susceptible to this disease. Overheating Teflon cookware or scratching a Teflon pan can cause the chemicals in the coating to break down. These chemicals are released into the air when heated, and inhaling the toxic fumes can cause flu-like symptoms.
Non-stick coatings made from “forever chemicals” known as PFAS can get deep inside the body and never break down. Scientists are still trying to figure out how this happens, but it could be due to the chemicals irritating the lungs, which can cause flu-like symptoms.
Symptoms of Teflon flu may appear soon after exposure, or they may occur some time later.
What is Teflon? Teflon is a synthetic chemical that contains carbon and fluorine, called polytetrafluoroethylene. It provides a non-reactive, non-stick, non-friction surface. The non-stick surface makes cooking easier.
How Teflon pans cause this illness It is safe to cook on Teflon pans that are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon. However, when Teflon pans are heated to temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the coating on some Teflon pans can begin to degrade and release a highly complex mixture of oxyfluorinated substances into the air. Inhaling these harmful substances in the form of smoke can have adverse effects on people who are exposed to them on a daily basis.
Avoid heating Teflon-coated pans to high temperatures, and do not preheat pans as an empty pan can become very hot in a short time, so you should always heat it with food, butter or oil in it.
Who is at risk for this disease? Smoke released from heated metals and burning plastic products can put people at risk for flu-like illnesses. People who weld metals at work are at higher risk of contracting metal fumes fever because some of them do not have the proper protective equipment to prevent the effects of exposure to smoke. During welding work, they are exposed to a variety of metals, including copper, iron, aluminum, and tin. People who overheat PTFE (Teflon) coated cookware can also contract Teflon flu. Therefore, you should stay away from sources of smoke.
Symptoms of Teflon fever “Patients may present with common symptoms like fever, chills, cough, chest tightness, difficulty in breathing, headache, dizziness, fatigue, lethargy, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain a few hours after exposure to metal fumes,” said Dr Santosh Kumar Agarwal, senior consultant, internal medicine, Marengo Asia Hospital, Faridabad.
Why are we at increased risk for Teflon flu? As the name suggests, improper use of Teflon cookware can make you more susceptible to this disease. Overheating Teflon cookware or scratching a Teflon pan can cause the chemicals in the coating to break down. These chemicals are released into the air when heated, and inhaling the toxic fumes can cause flu-like symptoms.
Non-stick coatings made from “forever chemicals” known as PFAS can get deep inside the body and never break down. Scientists are still trying to figure out how this happens, but it could be due to the chemicals irritating the lungs, which can cause flu-like symptoms.
Symptoms of Teflon flu may appear soon after exposure, or they may occur some time later.
What is Teflon? Teflon is a synthetic chemical that contains carbon and fluorine, called polytetrafluoroethylene. It provides a non-reactive, non-stick, non-friction surface. The non-stick surface makes cooking easier.
How Teflon pans cause this illness It is safe to cook on Teflon pans that are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon. However, when Teflon pans are heated to temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the coating on some Teflon pans can begin to degrade and release a highly complex mixture of oxyfluorinated substances into the air. Inhaling these harmful substances in the form of smoke can have adverse effects on people who are exposed to them on a daily basis.
Avoid heating Teflon-coated pans to high temperatures, and do not preheat pans as an empty pan can become very hot in a short time, so you should always heat it with food, butter or oil in it.
Who is at risk for this disease? Smoke released from heated metals and burning plastic products can put people at risk for flu-like illnesses. People who weld metals at work are at higher risk of contracting metal fumes fever because some of them do not have the proper protective equipment to prevent the effects of exposure to smoke. During welding work, they are exposed to a variety of metals, including copper, iron, aluminum, and tin. People who overheat PTFE (Teflon) coated cookware can also contract Teflon flu. Therefore, you should stay away from sources of smoke.
Symptoms of Teflon fever “Patients may present with common symptoms like fever, chills, cough, chest tightness, difficulty in breathing, headache, dizziness, fatigue, lethargy, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain a few hours after exposure to metal fumes,” said Dr Santosh Kumar Agarwal, senior consultant, internal medicine, Marengo Asia Hospital, Faridabad.
