Teflon flu is rising in US; symptoms, dos and don'ts while cooking in non-stick cookware

Can toxic fumes from your nonstick pan make you sick with the flu? While it may seem unheard of, this bizarre illness has been affecting many Americans. As per a Dailymail report, Teflon flu, also known as polymer fume fever, resulted in hospitalization of over 250 Americans last year. The symptoms of this disease include headache, body aches, fever, chills and shivers.
Wonder what puts you at risk of Teflon flu? As the name suggests it's your Teflon cookware that could make you susceptible to this disease if used improperly. Overheating nonstick cookware or scratching the teflon pans can cause the chemicals in the coating to break down. These chemicals can get released in the air upon heating and inhaling these toxic fumes can cause flu-like symptoms.
Non-stick cookware is usually coated with Teflon, a synthetic chemical which is made up of carbon and fluorine atoms. While cooking at normal temperature is safe, higher temperatures can make the coating wear off. This can produce toxins or poisonous fumes, leading to contamination of food with PFAS(Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), micro- and nano plastics.
Teflon fever is also called polymer fume fever. Inhalation of PTFE gases could impact your health. Sore throat and coughing, shivering and chills, headaches, and fever are common signs. It is advised to replace your nonstick pans whenever the coating starts to wear off.

The nonstick coating made from 'forever chemicals', of PFAS, could get deep inside the body where they cannot be broken down. While scientists are still trying to find how this happens, it may be due to the irritation caused by chemicals in the lungs that can cause flu-like symptoms.
PFAS are also known as 'forever chemicals' as they take an extremely long time to break down. Over the years they seep into the soil and groundwater and get into our food chain and drinking water in the process. PFAS chemicals are harmful because they don't degrade in the environment and are linked to health issues.
Symptoms of Teflon flu may develop immediately or after some time of the exposure.
Teflon is a synthetic chemical containing carbon and fluorine called polytetrafluoroethylene. It provides a nonreactive, nonstick and frictionless surface. The nonstick surface makes cooking convenient for people.
Cooking in a nonstick pan coated with a material polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon is safe. However, when a nonstick pan is heated at temperature above 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the coating on some nonstick pans may begin to deteriorate and release a very complex mix of oxidized, fluorinated substances in the air. Inhaling these harmful substances in the form of fumes may be detrimental for the people who are exposed to them on a regular basis.

People should avoid heating Teflon pan to a high temperature. Also refrain from preheating nonstick pans as empty nonstick pans can reach high temperatures in a very short time. Therefore, you should always heat with food, butter or oil already in it.

Fumes emitted from heated metal and burning plastic products can put people at the risk of flu-like illnesses. People who weld metal at work are at greater risk of metal fume fever as some workers do not have the right protective equipment to prevent effects from exposure to the fumes. They are exposed to a wide variety of metals including copper, iron, aluminum, and tin while welding work. People who overheat PTFE (Teflon)-coated cookware may also suffer from Teflon flu. So, people should get away from the source of the fumes.

Teflon flu causes symptoms like headache, fever, shivering, muscle aches, weakness, coughing, excessive thirst, and sweating. It can also affect your taste buds and cause bad or unpleasant taste. The symptoms normally go on for one to two days. Never overheat your Teflon pan or even use one in ovens for more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Patients may manifest common symptoms like fever and chills, cough, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, headache, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint aches several hours after they are exposed to metal fumes," says Dr Santosh Kumar Aggarwal, Senior Consultant-Internal Medicine, Marengo Asia Hospitals Faridabad.
If you develop symptoms of Teflon flu after exposure to toxic fumes, it’s important to take some quick measures like turning off the heat on your cooking surface and step out in the fresh air, according to Missouri Poison Center. It is also important to drink plenty of water and taking medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen if you’re uncomfortable, as per the center. You can use cast iron pans to cook in case you want to avoid long-term side effects of Teflon cookware.

The potential cancer risk associated with Teflon is actually due to a chemical called PFOA, which was used in its production. Developed in the 1930s, PFOA was utilized to create coatings resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. Studies have linked PFOA to various health issues, including cancer, immune deficiencies, and developmental problems in lab animals. Due to these concerns, manufacturers began phasing out PFOA in nonstick coatings around 2002, and it was officially banned in the U.S. by 2014 and in Europe by 2008. If you own Teflon cookware from 2013 or earlier, it may still contain PFOA, so it’s advisable to replace it.