What Is Popcorn Lung?

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What Is Popcorn Lung?
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The term popcorn lung is a dialect tag for a
severe condition whose scientific name is
bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) or simply
obliterative bronchiolitis. The condition occurs
when the small airways inside the lung
(bronchiolitis) become scarred, thicken and
efficiency is reduced. In severe cases, the
disease is incurable and a lung transplant is the
only option. Nevertheless, despite being the best
treatment procedure for popcorn lungs, lung
transplant itself can as well be a cause too.
Actually, one of the associated complications is
called bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and its
caused by a lung transplant. Popcorn lung can
result from exposure to either medical agents or
environmental sources. Inflammations as a result
of fungal, bacterial, and viral infections, or
ingestion of chemical particles occur in the
bronchioles. While diacetyl, a diketone commonly
used in food flavoring is the chemical most
commonly associated with obliterative
bronchiolitis, scientists have discovered other
potential chemicals such as chlorine,
formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid,
phosgene, mustard gas, nitrogen IV oxide,
ammonia, sulfur IV oxide, as well as fumes from
welding. Why Is Bronchiolitis Obliterans
Referred To As Popcorn Lung? Over a decade ago, a
physician disclosed that a couple of ex-workers
in a microwave popcorn facility had developed a
strange and acute lung infection. It was later
reported that some of them were critically ill
and required a lung transplant. Investigations
were
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conducted to ascertain the probable cause of this
rare and disabling condition. Ultimately,
researchers found that the disease was caused by
vapor from butter flavoring that is added to
popcorn. In the factory, workers were exposed to
diacetyl, the buttery- flavoring chemical that
led to the ailment. While the flavoring may be
tasty, its effects are deadly as it is
associated with thousands of bronchiolitis
obliterans cases, a severe and irreversible lung
complication. Consequently, the popcorn
manufacturer excluded diacetyl from their
production chain, but still some people expose
themselves to the chemical not only through
food processing as a workplace hazard but also
through vape flavor flavoring. When diacetyl is
inhaled into the body, it causes bronchiolitis
obliterans, commonly known as popcorn lung" and
which is a scarring of the alveoli which results
in the thickening and ultimately narrowing of
the airways. Whereas calling the complication
popcorn lungs may sound less-threatening
considering the beauty that comes with popcorn
and those sessions its a severe lung
condition thats characterized by constant
coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing
among other dire symptoms. Although its
well-known that diacetyl is the source of popcorn
lungs, the chemical is commonly used in the
preparation of vape flavors. its added to vape
flavors to complement different flavorings like
vanilla, coconut, maple, et al. so, whilst
diacetyl was completely eliminated from popcorn
products as it could cause bronchiolitis
obliterans among factory workers, vape flavor
users are directly ingesting the harmful
substance into their bodies. Symptoms Of
Popcorn Lung
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In a popcorn lung patient, scarring occurs on the
lung tissues (air sucks), thickens the airways,
and finally blocks them. This halts the proper
function of the lungs. With similar symptoms as
the ones associated with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), popcorn lungs can
appear barely two to eight weeks after exposure
to causing agents. The early symptoms of popcorn
lungs are Fatigue Reduced activity tolerance
Shortness of breath Wheezing Dry cough Even
though bronchiolitis obliterans is an absurdly
rare condition, its early signs are much similar
to common colds. Over time, two weeks to a few
months, those symptoms persist and progress to
become more severe. Ultimately, the condition
causes various severe problems such as breathing
difficulties and poor absorption of oxygen.
Popcorn lungs are an irreversible condition
failure to seek medical attention may result in
respiratory complications and cause death within
months. Unfortunately, theres no cure for
bronchiolitis obliterans, but treatment can
decelerate its development to severity.
Depending on the exact cause of the disease,
bronchiolitis obliterans is sometimes managed
using antibiotics, corticosteroids, as well
as immunosuppressive medications. Cough
medications and oxygen are administered to treat
the symptoms. In severe cases, lung
transplantation may be the best option. Sometimes
the disease is hard to diagnose. Even though
Computed tomography (CT) scans as well as
pulmonary function diagnoses can provide
concrete clues, the only certain and reliable
method is by performing surgical lung
biopsy. The long-term prospect of bronchiolitis
obliterans depends on what causes the disease
and how fast it develops. For example, cases
associated with rheumatoid arthritis can have a
particularly poor outcome. That said, its wise
to work with a health professional to formulate
a treatment plan thats specific to the source of
the disease and other underlying
factors. Prevention Of Bronchiolitis
Obliterans You can only prevent popcorn lung by
preventing lung damage. And the best way to
prevent lung damage is to avoid factors that
cause or accelerate the condition. Some of the
measures include A void using vape flavors or
tobacco products prepared with buttery flavoring
products Avoid spaces/environments and
environments where inhalable toxins or chemicals
are rampant. If/where necessary, wear protective
respiratory gear and face masks.
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Watching cautiously symptoms that may lead to
organ transplants, especially stem cell and lung
transplants. Whats Diacetyl? Hows the exposure
to diacetyl associated with harm? Now that vapers
have grabbed bits of information from online
forums and google searches, they are still
bewildered as to whether they should stop using
e-cigarettes for containing hazardous chemicals.
But as much as there is a lot of misleading
information online, diacetyl remains the main
culprit linked with popcorn lungs. Diacetyl is
an organic compound naturally occurring in
fermented products like cultured milk and
alcoholic drinks. Also, diacetyl is found in
plants such as tobacco and is commonly used to
flavor processed foods. It has a buttery taste in
addition to sweet flavors. In the past,
diacetyl was excessively used in the production
of butter-flavored microwave popcorn and was
consumed by millions of people across the globe.
It was later discovered that diacetyl was
directly linked with bronchiolitis obliterans,
and popcorn manufacturers stopped using it. The
chemical name or I UPAC system name of diacetyl
is butanedione or 2,3- butanedione. It belongs
to a chemical family referred to as diketones.
Other than diacetyl, acetyl propionyl (AP) is
another commonly used diketone as a flavoring
chemical. When ingested, both diacetyl and acetyl
propionyl pose no known risks. The Food and Drug
Authority classifies both chemicals as generally
recognized as safe (GRAS), implying there have
been no diagnosed negative health issues linked
with drinking or eating them. Notwithstanding,
inhaling diacetyl and related flavoring, probably
in large quantities, can result in irreversible
lung complications. While acetyl propionyl is
slightly as dangerous as diacetyl, industrial
diacetyl fumes is the main cause of
bronchiolitis obliterans. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) considers
obliterative bronchiolitis and other related lung
diseases as flavoring- related lung
complications. Do Vape Flavors Contain
Diacetyl? Now that youve known the potential
risks associated with consuming diacetyl, this
might sound terrible. Now, as we all know,
therere a vast variety of flavored vape flavors
on the market. In the past couple of years,
sweet dessert vape flavors have grown immense
popularity and a few vape flavor manufacturers
have adopted butter flavors that would later be
deemed unfit for inhalation. But considering the
principle of toxicology, the degree of exposure
combined with the dose makes the poison.
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Truly, the popcorn factory workers were exposed
to far higher degrees of diacetyl than you would
get from a vape mod, even if the vape flavor in
question was to contain diacetyl as the main
flavoring ingredient. If we were to compare the
levels of diacetyl in ordinary cigarettes and in
vape flavors, indeed, an ordinary tobacco
cigarette contains approximately 300 ppm of
diacetyl. This level is over 100 times what
ordinary e-cigarette aerosols contain. Whilst
Diacetyl is a commonly used flavoring chemical in
vaping products, it can be blended with
different chemicals or used as an alternative
(acetoin and acetyl propionyl). So, is there
diacetyl in vapes? Yes, some vape flavors contain
diacetyl. Although its not always included,
its present in most vape flavors. Diacetyl
present in vape flavors comes from the flavoring
used to prepare them like custards and sweet
desserts butter flavors. Also, various candy,
tobacco, and fruit-flavored vape flavors contain
diacetyl. Is Vaping Associated With Popcorn
Lung? Just as there have been no diagnosed
negative health issues linked with eating or
drinking diacetyl, so is vaping. Claims
suggesting vaping can cause popcorn lungs cannot
be substantiated by any proof. T here is no
evidence to vindicate vaping as a cause of
obliterative bronchiolitis, in ant vaping
research, but maybe the exposure to diacetyl from
regular cigarettes may provide some hint about
the risk as ordinary cigarettes contain far
higher levels of diacetyl compared to vaping
products. Nevertheless, popcorn lung has never
been associated with cigarette smoking. In spite
of the hundreds of millions of cigarette smokers
across the globe who regularly inhale diacetyl,
none has been diagnosed with obliterative
bronchiolitis, and if any, smoking has never
been the main cause. According to the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), smokers with popcorn lungs exhibit more
severe levels of lung damage compared with
smokers with normal smoking-related respiratory
infections such as emphysema. Despite the
renowned risks of smoking, obliterative
bronchiolitis isnt one of its outcomes. Truly,
diseases like lung cancers, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as heart
diseases are directly linked with the effects of
smoking from inhalation of hazardous compounds
like tar, carbon II oxide, and carcinogens. All
these are products of combustion. Since vaping
doesnt involve combustion, the majority of those
harmful products of ordinary cigarettes are
absent. Besides, barely one percent of the
diacetyl chemical contained in ordinary
cigarettes is present in vapes. Arguably, there
is simply no proof that vaping causes
obliterative bronchiolitis. Diacetyl Safety
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So, you might get worried about what all these
fusses are all about! Well, through substantive
years of studies, scientists have established the
safety of diacetyl chemicals when used as a food
additive. Nevertheless, the least degree of
exposure should be adhered to an average person
would require trace amounts of diacetyl in the
food or drink they consume. This is because t
he research is done in 2002 by Occupational
Health Scientists at six of the microwave
popcorn factory workers to ascertain if the
exposure to vaporized diacetyl had a hand in
their severe obstructive lung infections. The
study showed that these workers had developed an
incurable kind of lung disease referred to as
constrictive bronchiolitis, due to a high degree
of diacetyl exposure. This implies that the
safety of diacetyl is significantly determined
by the level of exposure. In another case study,
working in a buttery flavoring and heated soya
bean oil mixer department was linked to higher
levels of vaporized diacetyl exposure than
working in the other departments of the
factory. Mixer employees who managed to work for
at least twelve months in these zones had higher
chances of developing respiratory diseases.
Subsequent toxicology surveys have established
that vapor produced by heated buttery flavoring
causes damage to respiratory airways in animals.
Overall, diacetyl has been directly linked as the
source of flavoring-related lung
infections. Can Acetyl Propionyl Be A Better
Substitute? When safety concerns of vaporized
diacetyl became a major problem, the
flavoring industry devised an alternative (Acetyl
Propionyl, aka 2,3 pentanedione) that gave an
unparalleled buttery flavoring profile. Their
chemical structures are much similar acetyl
propionyl is an alpha-diketone with five carbon
atoms whereas diacetyl is an alpha- diketone
with four carbon atoms. So with acetyl propionyl
as a substitute, was the problem solved? Not
really, studies have established that inhalation
exposure to 2,3 pentanedione causes epithelial
damage of the airways, which is very similar to
what diacetyl causes. Summary Sometimes
bronchiolitis obliterans may occur after youve
had a severe disease that infected your lungs
such as pneumonia or bronchitis. In other cases,
victims of rheumatoid arthritis can get
bronchiolitis obliterans as a side effect of the
condition. Also, bronchiolitis obliterans can
occur in persons who experience organ rejection
after undergoing lung or stem cell transplants.
Overall, bronchiolitis obliterans a.k.a
popcorn lung is a deadly disease that must be
prevented by all means.