"Popcorn lung" is the nickname for bronchiolitis obliterans. It is a condition that damages your bodylungs' smallest airways and makes youcoughand feel short of breath. It is sometimes caused by inhaling a chemical used to flavor microwave popcorn. But other chemicals or lung diseases can also cause popcorn lung.
In your lungs, those tubes divide again and again, just like the branches of a tree. The smallest of these branches are called bronchioles and end in small air sacs called alveoli. The oxygen is absorbed by your blood in the alveoli.
If you have “popcorn lung,” the small airways become irritated and inflamed. This leads to scars that make them narrower. This makes it harder for you to get enough air.
What causes popcorn lung?
The chemical that gave this condition its nickname is diacetyl. After workers at a factory that packaged microwave popcorn were found to have bronchiolitis obliterans more often than other people, some companies stopped using diacetyl as a flavoring. But it is still used in some electronic cigarette flavors in the US. Many e-cigarette manufacturers say they do not use this chemical in their products, and its use in e-cigarettes is banned in Europe.
Another common cause is acetaldehyde, a chemical found in cigarette smokemarihuanaand some electronic cigarettes. Acetaldehyde can also damage the inside of your bodyable to, neck andstomach.
Other chemicals that can cause popcorn lung include:
- Metal oxide fumes, a common byproduct of welding
- Formaldehyde, ACancer-causing chemicals used in some adhesives and building materials
- Sulfur dioxide, a pollutant released from the combustion of fossil fuels
- Ammonia
- Claws
- Nitric oxide
- Hydrochloric acid
- Sulfur mustard, a chemical weapon known as "mustard gas"
Sometimes bronchiolitis obliterans occurs after you have had a serious illness that affects your lungs, for example some types of diseasespneumoniaofbronchitis. And some people who doRheumatoid arthritiscan get popcorn lung as a side effect of the condition.
If you've had onelung transplantor a stem cell transplant. You can develop this condition if your body tries to reject the new organ. It is the leading cause of death in people who undergo lung transplantation.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of popcorn lung are a dry cough and shortness of breath. These appear between 2 weeks and 2 months after you have been near a toxic gas or had an illness. You're especially likely to get them if you arecoachor do heavy work. If you have had a lung transplant, it may take several years for symptoms to appear.
If you feel tired for no apparent reason or experience wheezing when this is not the caseasthmashe hascold, which can also be a symptom of bronchiolitis obliterans.
Diagnose
If you have any of the symptoms of bronchiolitis obliterans, your doctor may recommend a computed tomography (CT) scan of your chest. Multiple X-rays are taken from different angles and stitched together to create a more complete picture. They will also probably want to test how well your lungs are working.
A chest X-ray can tell your doctor if your lungs are holding too much air, but the best way to confirm that you have bronchiolitis obliterans is to have a biopsy. This is usually done with surgery.
Therapy
Popcorn lung causes permanent damage, so it's important to catch it early. If you do, you may be able to slow it down or prevent it from getting worse:
- If it was caused by inhaling harmful chemicals, you should stay away from it. You may need to wear protective equipment at work or change jobs.
- Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or steroids for reliefinflammationwhich can scar your airways.
- Drugs that slow down your immune system can help protect your bronchioles from further damage.
- Your doctor will probably give you medicine to help your cough and open your airways and oxygen to make breathing easier.
