Popcorn lung disease is a recently described condition. It is the common way of referring to obliterative bronchiolitis. Actually, this disorder is rare, but its incidence increases progressively.
Popcorn lung disease has this name because the first cases described appeared in people exposed to a compound with which this food was made. The problem is that it significantly alters the capacity of the lungs. Therefore, in this article we explain why it occurs and how to avoid it.
What is popcorn lung disease?
Popcorn lung disease, as we’ve noted, is also called obliterative bronchiolitis . This is explained by the American Lung Association . This term refers to inflammation of the bronchioles. They are the branches of the bronchi, that is, part of the lower airway.
When the bronchioles become inflamed, edema occurs at this level of the airways. In addition, the process leads to the appearance of fibrosis. All these events make, each time, the bronchioles are narrower and the air cannot get through correctly.
Popcorn lung disease was first described in people who worked in popcorn factories. This is because they were exposed to something called diacetyl . It is a substance that occurs naturally in some fermentation processes and is frequently used in the food industry. It is used to give food a butter flavor.
In most cases this flavoring is combined with other ingredients to obtain the artificial flavor. The problem is, when inhaled, the vapor containing diacetyl can lead to popcorn lung disease.
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