Teflon flu is on the rise in the US. Precautions when using non-stick pans for cooking

Although this strange disease may seem unknown, it affects many Americans. Teflon flu, also known as polymer vapor fever, hospitalized more than 250 Americans last year, the Daily Mail reported. Symptoms of the disease include headache, body aches, fever, chills and chills.  

As the name suggests, Teflon cookware can make you sick if used incorrectly. Overheating nonstick cookware or scratching Teflon pans can erode the chemicals in the coating.  

These chemicals are released into the air when heated, and inhaling these toxic fumes can cause flu-like symptoms.Although scientists are still trying to figure out how this happens, it may be due to chemical irritation in the lungs that causes flu-like symptoms.

Symptoms of Teflon flu may appear immediately or develop over time.

Teflon is a synthetic chemical containing carbon and fluorine called polytetrafluoroethylene. Provides a non-reactive, non-stick and friction-free surface. The non-stick surface makes cooking convenient.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), otherwise known as Teflon, is safe to cook with nonstick pans. However, when nonstick pans are heated above 500°F, some nonstick coatings can begin to corrode, releasing a complex mixture of fluorinated oxidants into the air. Inhaling these harmful substances in the form of fumes can be harmful to people who are regularly exposed to them. Also avoid heating non-stick pans, as exposed non-stick pans can reach high temperatures in a very short time. Therefore, you should always preheat food, butter or oil.

Fumes from burning molten iron and plastics put people at risk of flu-like illnesses. Workers who weld metal on the job are at increased risk of developing metal fume fever because some workers do not have the proper protective equipment to protect them from the effects of fume exposure. During the casting process they come into contact with various metals including copper, iron, aluminum and tin. You can also get Teflon flu from overheating cookware coated with PTFE (Teflon).   So people should stay away from the source of smoke.

“A few hours after exposure to metal fumes, patients develop fever and general symptoms such as chills, cough, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, headache, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain,  etc.” Joint Pain. Dr Santosh Kumar Aggarwal, Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Marengo Asia Hospital, Faridabad.

Reference

Author: MedBlog18 Blog Team

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