What is popcorn lung and can vaping cause it?
Mar 24, 2021 · A study published in 2016 reported that more than 90 percent of e-cigarettes tested contained either diacetyl or 2,3 pentanedione (another harmful chemical known to cause popcorn lung). This means...
What is popcorn lung, and can it be caused by using marijuana?
Sep 28, 2021 · Yorkshire Cancer Research states: “There have … been stories that vaping products cause a disease called ‘popcorn lung’. This was caused by a chemical flavouring called diacetyl, which had been used in e-liquids. Again, diacetyl is banned in e-liquids in the UK under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
What does vaping do to your lungs?
Oct 05, 2018 · Cannabis vape juice often contains these same ingredients. RELATED Delta 8 THC Energizes and Leaves a Clear Head There is also the issue of popcorn lung. It’s a disease named after workers’ exposure to the chemical diacetyl in a microwave popcorn factory. It is an area with comparatively more research into its harmful effects.
Does Juul cause popcorn lung?
There’s no evidence to support vaping as a cause of popcorn lung, in any vaping studies or otherwise, but maybe diacetyl exposure from cigarette smoking may provide some insight about the risk. Cigarette smoke contains at least 100 times as much diacetyl as the highest levels in any vaping product, yet smoking is not associated with popcorn ...
What additive causes popcorn lung?
When inhaled, diacetyl causes bronchiolitis obliterans - more commonly referred to as "popcorn lung" - a scarring of the tiny air sacs in the lungs resulting in the thickening and narrowing of the airways.
Does my vape juice have diacetyl?
Vape juice is made using VG, PG, and flavors (and sometimes nicotine). But diacetyl isn't found in the VG, PG, or even the nicotine...it's found in the flavorings. Some of the flavorings that are known to contain diacetyl are pastry flavors, some custards, and cherry flavors.Jun 29, 2020
Which Vapes have diacetyl?
Here are three examples of companies that offer diacetyl-free vape juice and publish independent lab reports to verify the quality and accuracy of their ingredients:Halo and Evo Vape Juice. ... Black Note E-Liquid Naturally Extracted Flavor. ... VaporFi E-Juices and Custom Blends. ... Halo and Evo Vape Juice.More items...
Does propylene glycol cause popcorn lung?
New research shows that propylene glycol can also generate methylglyoxal, an alpha di-carbonyl compound recently shown to cause epithelial necrosis at even lower concentrations than diacetyl, the flavoring chemical associated with bronchiolitis obliterans ("Popcorn Lung").Jan 6, 2021
Why does my vape taste like popcorn?
Dry Herb Vape Has a Burnt Popcorn Taste If the vapor from your herb has a bad burnt flavor, it could have been vaporized too much. At high temperatures for prolonged periods, vaporizers will burn pockets of herb in the chamber, especially if the vaporizer isn't heating the material evenly.Oct 15, 2021
What is the safest vape liquid?
Is diacetyl-free the safest e-liquid to vape? Vaping diacetyl-free e-juice is at least a safer option than e-juice with it. The most suspect aspects of vape juice have to do with the inhalation of the vape flavorings. Eliminating any non-essential elements from e-juice will in fact make it safer.Jan 5, 2022
What does propylene glycol do to your lungs?
Propylene glycol and glycerol exposure, alone or with tobacco smoke, also changes lung leukocyte cell frequency [29]. These findings were confirmed in another study, with increased lung dendritic cells, B-cells and CD4+ T-cells [30].
What is the least harmful vape juice?
PG (Propylene Glycerin) – A liquid derived from propylene glycol. Though also considered safe by the FDA, it tends to have other applications, such as solvents and preservatives. Though both of these ingredients are deemed safe by the FDA, vegetable glycerin believed to be safer than propylene glycerin.
Is diethylene glycol in vape juice?
For a simple example, most vape liquid uses propylene glycol – a completely harmless chemical that also makes asthma inhalers work – to suspend and deliver the flavorings. However, cheap, mass-market vapes have been found to contain diethylene glycol – an industrial solvent which is definitely poisonous.
Is it OK to inhale propylene glycol?
Propylene glycol (PG) is generally recognized as safe by oral, dermal or inhalation routes and has been a common ingredient in all American made tobacco cigarettes for seven decades (AAPHP website). The cartridge liquid is tobacco-free and no combustion occurs (Ruyan cartridge report).May 30, 2017
Is it safe to vape propylene glycol?
Is propylene glycol safe to vape? Yes, to be clear, it is considered extremely safe, non-toxic, and has no cancer-causing properties, unlike tobacco!Mar 18, 2021
Is propylene glycol safe in Vapes?
However, the data from inhalation exposure to propylene glycol are limited. In some individuals, exposure to propylene glycol aerosols in concentrations found in e-cigarettes has been shown to cause irritation to the eyes and throat.
How to diagnose popcorn lung?
To diagnose popcorn lung, your doctor will do a full physical exam and ask you several questions about your health history. In addition, they may want to perform some testing such as: chest X-ray. computerized tomography (CT) scan. pulmonary function testing.
What is vaping in a cigarette?
What is vaping? Vaping is when a liquid, usually containing nicotine or marijuana, is heated inside an e-cigarette until a steam or vapor is created, then a person breathes this vapor in and out absorbing the nicotine, marijuana, or other substances.
How to treat a swollen lungs?
Other treatment options include: 1 Inhaled medications. Your doctor may prescribe an inhaler that helps to open those smaller airways, making it easier for your lungs to get air. 2 Steroids. Steroid medications can decrease inflammation, which will help to open up smaller airways. 3 Antibiotics. If there’s a bacterial infection in your lungs, antibiotics may be prescribed. 4 Lung transplant. In extreme cases, lung damage is so extensive that a lung transplant may be needed.
What is the name of the disease that causes shortness of breath and wheezing?
Popcorn lung, or bronchiolitis obliterans, is a disease that affects the smaller airways in your lungs called bronchioles. It can cause scarring and narrowing of these important airways, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing. When you take a breath in, air travels into your airway, also known as your trachea.
How many people died from e-cigarettes in 2020?
Over the last year, e-cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury (EVALI), which include bronchiolitis obliterans from diacetyl exposure (aka: popcorn lung) have skyrocketed in people who vape. , as of February 18, 2020, there have been 2,807 confirmed cases of EVALI in the United States and 68 confirmed deaths.
What is the smallest airway in the lungs?
When you take a breath in, air travels into your airway, also known as your trachea. The trachea then splits into two airways, called bronchi, that each lead to one of your lungs. The bronchi then split into smaller tubes called bronchioles, which are the smallest airways in your lungs. Popcorn lung occurs when bronchioles become scarred ...
Is popcorn lung a disease?
Popcorn lung is an extremely rare lung disease, and it’s hard to say with certainty how common it is among people who vape. A study published in 2016 reported that more than 90 percent of e-cigarettes tested contained either diacetyl or 2,3 pentanedione (another harmful chemical known to cause popcorn lung).
Where does Jessica McKeil live?
She is lucky enough to live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada where the cannabis industry is exploding. When not writing, she spends much of her time exploring in the coastal forests.
Is smoking cannabis bad for you?
According to one of the most extensive reviews on smoking cannabis, the long-term negative health effects of inhaling cannabis smoke are minimal. There is no evidence connecting cannabis smoke to lung or respiratory cancers, and little evidence of other severe long-term health issues. Cannabis smokers do generally experience a higher risk ...
Is e-cigarettes regulated?
The e-cigarette industry is not regulated like the tobacco or cannabis industry, and many of these additional ingredients have not undergone tests for human inhalation. These ingredients include: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and flavorings such as vanillin, diacetyl, and cinnamaldehyde.
Does popcorn contain diacetyl?
The popcorn industry no longer uses Diacetyl. It is, unfortunately, present in many vaping products with vanilla, caramel, or other buttery flavors. Until further research occurs about the safety of additional ingredients included in cannabis vape products, steer clear.
Is it safe to smoke e-cigarettes?
Still, there is growing concern about the other ingredients often hidden within the liquids. These ingredients, while perhaps safe for oral ingestion, are yet to undergo studies for inhalation.
Does popcorn cause bronchiolitis?
When inhaled over prolonged periods, the chemical scars sensitive lung tissue, and triggers the onset of bronchiolitis obliterans. This is an irreversible and serious condition impeding breathing. The popcorn industry no longer uses Diacetyl.
What is popcorn lung?
Popcorn lung is a slang name for a serious condition with the scientific name bronchiolitis obliterans, or obliterative bronchiolitis. Sometimes the name is abbreviated as BO, and it is occasionally called constrictive bronchiolitis. Popcorn lung is caused when the smallest airways within the lungs (bronchioles) are scarred, ...
How to diagnose popcorn lung?
Popcorn lung can be difficult to diagnose. Although CT scans and pulmonary function tests can offer strong clues, the only truly reliable way to identify the disease is through a surgical lung biopsy. And sometimes multiple biopsy samples are required to be certain.
Can bronchiolitis be cured?
There is no cure for the condition except a lung transplant. Bronchiolitis obliterans can result from a variety of medical and environmental causes. The bronchioles can become inflamed and damaged from viral, bacterial and fungal infections, or by inhalation of chemical particles.
Is popcorn lung a common cold?
Although popcorn lung is an incredibly rare disease, the early symptoms are similar to a common cold. Over a period of weeks or months, those symptoms progress and become more severe. Eventually the disease causes a variety of severe problems with breathing and absorption of oxygen.
Is there a cure for popcorn lung?
There is no cure for popcorn lung, but treatment can sometimes slow its progression. Depending on the cause, popcorn lung is sometimes treated with antibiotics, immunosuppressive drugs, or corticosteroids. Cough medication or oxygen may be given to help manage symptoms. Severe cases may require a lung transplant.
Is diacetyl a chemical?
It was commonly used as an additive in “butter-flavored” microwave popcorn, consumed by millions the world over. After the popcorn lung investigations, most manufacturers stopped using butter flavoring with diacetyl. Diacetyl is also known as 2,3-butanedione. It’s part of a chemical family called diketones.
Is it safe to eat diacetyl?
The FDA designates both chemicals “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), meaning there have been no observed negative health outcomes from eating or drinking them. However, inhaling diacetyl and similar flavorings—at least in large quantities, like the popcorn factory mixers did—can cause irreversible lung damage.
How Did Popcorn Lung Become Linked with Vaping?
In 2015, a single study was conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health. It looked at whether e-cigarette liquid contained diacetyl. Only 51 of over 4000 available flavors were tested. 39 of the 51 e-liquids tested contained some level of the flavor chemical.
Hillary Miles
Hillary, BECG's editor and contributing author has been an advocate for the vaping industry since 2009. After a long career writing and producing for national television networks, Hillary now focuses on tobacco harm reduction, health and well-being.
What is Popcorn Lung?
The scientific name for Popcorn Lung is bronchiolitis obliterans. It is called Popcorn Lung because it was once commonly found in people who work in popcorn factories. This is because the main ingredient in the artificial butter flavoring is diacetyl.
What to Know About Diacetyl in E-Liquids
The good news is that most e-liquid manufacturers did away with diacetyl at the first sign of trouble. There are numerous other ways to create that same buttery flavor without the help of this single chemical. As a vaper, you need to be aware of the ingredients in your e-liquids and watch out for any signs of diacetyl.
Shifting Waters
Thanks to the Harvard University research study, the vapor industry as a whole has been very responsive. People within the vaping community are working to make everyone aware of the dangers that diacetyl poses. However, it has also highlighted an important element about the vaping community as well: They are self-regulating.
Does vaping kill you?
Here's the Truth. Another week, another study that says vaping is going to kill you. New research from a Harvard team that examined 51 various electronic cigarettes and e-liquids — the juices used in vaping — found that 75% of the juices contained dangerous flavoring chemicals that historically have been tied to a lung disease called "popcorn ...
Is diacetyl a good flavoring?
Diacetyl is a yellow-green flavoring chemical that has an intensely buttery flavor. It's one of the most prevalent ingredients in popcorn-flavoring compounds. Diacetyl is classified as "generally regarded as safe" by the FDA, the same classification given to caffeine and many spices.
Is vape juice bad for you?
But the study shows some juices are likely bad for you because of a certain ingredient. Plenty of vape juices are made without diacetyl. It's only one of many flavorings, and though the Harvard study found that its presence is common, it's not a necessary flavor additive. A simple solution would be moderate, common-sense legislation to prevent ...
Is vaping better than cigarettes?
Until the vaping industry has more research and transparency, industry advocates, activists and bloggers are trying to remind everyone that even with the presence of some harmful chemicals, vaping is possibly much healthier for you than cigarettes — which also, by the way, can include diacetyl.
