At present, vaping continues to grow in popularity as it is wrongly perceived to be a safer option than smoking. However, increasing medical research shows how incorrect this perception truly is. One of the major potential risks associated with vaping has been identified as an illness called popcorn lung (officially known as bronchiolitis obliterans). Popcorn lung is an extremely serious and yet one of the least spoken about illnesses directly related to vaping. However, it is permanent and will change a person’s quality of life forever.
Popcorn Lung: What is it?
The name popcorn lung comes from the fact that there were workers in microwave popcorn plants in the early 2000s who were diagnosed with this condition after years of exposure to diacetyl (a chemical used to provide a butter flavor).
Popcorn lung is an actual disease of the lungs and specifically, the smallest tubes (the airways) in the lungs become damaged and eventually scarred due to long-term inhalation of diacetyl. Once these airways become narrowed or blocked completely, individuals will face increasing difficulty breathing.
Most people who develop popcorn lung will notice that they will not be able to breathe comfortably; some will experience a “wake-up call” by experiencing chronic coughing, wheezing, tightness of the chest, and persistent shortness of breath during any physical activity (as little as walking 10 feet).
Once the damage occurs, there currently is no medical option to repair, reverse or restore lung capacity and/or function besides managing the symptoms.
Popcorn Lung’s Origins
Popcorn lung first came into existence as a medical condition after factory employees of microwave popcorn manufacturing companies began developing popcorn lung in the early 2000s. All of these employees were inhaling small quantities of diacetyl when producing popcorn. Continued inhalation of even a small quantity of diacetyl severely and irreversibly damaged their lungs.
The initial discovery of the disease opened the door to the understanding of occupational inhalation risks for diacetyl. However, even after this discovery was made, diacetyl was (and still is) used in a variety of products.
What is the Connection Between Diacetyl and Vaping?
There have been numerous times when vaping liquids have been found to contain diacetyl and/or similar types of flavoring agents that occur naturally in foods that are sweet tasting and/or creamy tasting and/or fruity-tasting. Although diacetyl is safe to consume when ingested as food, it is dangerous and harmful to inhale.
Recent Wake-Up Call
In a recent case out of the United States where a teenager was diagnosed with popcorn lung after vaping for the last three years discreetly, it brought shock to medical professionals and the general public alike, reminding everyone that lung damage from vaping is occurring right now and is affecting those with healthy lungs, even if they are young.
Why Vaping Feels Safer Than It Is
The lack of immediate signs associated with vaping makes it easy to underestimate the effects that vaping has on your lungs. Gradually occurring lung damage often has no pain or other apparent warning signs until it has progressed too greatly to recognize it; therefore, by the time problems with breathing develop, you may have already suffered extensive lung damage.
In addition to the appealing flavor and marketing, there are also other reasons why teenagers and young adults may feel that there is less risk with using vape products compared to traditional cigarettes.
There Is No Cure
One of the most concerning things about popcorn lungs is that there is no cure for this condition, and if the condition is advanced, patients will ultimately need a lung transplant in order to survive, diminishing the quality of life due to permanent respiratory limitations even with medical care.
Rethinking the “Harmless” Narrative
Vaping isn’t harmless when you consider the long-term effects as well as the risks associated with vaping relative to smoking. Vaping is an investment in the future of your lung health, with the consequences appearing at a time when you will have missed out on the ability to stop or reverse lung-related issues.
With the continued growth of research on the effects of flavored chemical inhalation, one thing is becoming clear – this type of inhalation is associated with significant risk and, therefore, deserves far more attention than it currently receives.
