Popcorn Danger
Millions of individuals love the buttery smell of microwave popcorn. However, this savory aroma has now been linked to a lethal lung disease in factory workers who make the popular snack and may be linked to individual consumers. Recently the first-known case of the illness has turned up in a man who consumed large amounts of popcorn. A Mr.Watson ate about two bags daily, but now he has quit because of the havoc it reeked on his lungs. Mr. Watson had all the symptoms of a rare disease dubbed "popcorn lung," which derives its name because it was found in popcorn plant workers exposed to a flavoring ingredient called diacetyl. Diacetyl is a natural substance heated in a factory setting to give microwave popcorn its buttery taste. Watson initially didn't recognize the symptoms as popcorn lung, when he began speaking with a doctor who had done research on the disease, she suspected he might be suffering from the disease. The doctor asked if he was ever around butter-flavored microwaved popcorn?
The National Jewish Medical Center in Denver has studied the disease and wondered whether there was a consumer connection. The symptoms are as follows: The very small airwaves called the bronchials become blocked by scar tissue and inflammation and you cannot blow air out. The disease normally affects popcorn factory workers who inhale large amounts of the chemical's fumes. Some workers have died from it and many have needed lung transplants to survive.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with this rare but lethal disease please call us day or night at 1-800-862-1260.
