The condition is caused by overheating pans coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which releases fumes into the air. Breathing in those fumes can cause flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of polymer fume fever include chest tightness, coughing, difficulty breathing and headaches.
Symptoms of polymer fume fever include chest tightness, coughing, difficulty breathing and headaches. The symptoms tend to go away within two to three days but the long-term effects of the condition remain unknown, according to ABC News medical contributor Dr. Darien Sutton, an emergency medicine physician.
Signs and symptoms of Teflon flu
Symptoms generally occur within a few hours after being exposed to the fumes and usually resolve within 1 to 2 days. Rarely, severe symptoms including lung damage have occurred due to inhaling polymer fumes.
Getting away from the source of the fumes is the most important treatment for this condition. Adequate fluid intake, as well as use of medications like NSAIDs or acetaminophen, can be helpful in managing fever and body aches.
However, PFOA can be measured in blood for years after exposure. PFOA levels decline in blood naturally by about half every 2-4 years, assuming there is no additional exposure. This is known as a half life.
Treatment includes antibiotics for an active strep infection with symptoms, cognitive behavioral therapy for behavioral and psychiatric disorders, and habit reversal training for tics.
"We don't yet know the long-term effects, but we do know that these chemicals, these PFAS, are associated with health conditions like thyroid abnormalities, certain cancers, like kidney cancer, as well as certain problems with infertility," Sutton said Friday on "Good Morning America." "So it's important to be safe ...
Not all non-stick pans use Teflon; other non-stick coatings have become available. For example, a mixture of titanium and ceramic can be sandblasted onto the pan surface, and then fired at 2,000 °C (3,630 °F) to produce a non-stick ceramic coating.
In general, you want to replace nonstick pans after five years. But you need to be particularly careful with nonstick cookware produced before 2015, as it may contain PFOA. If your cookware dates back to 2015 and earlier, it's likely time to replace it even if it doesn't contain PFOAs.
People exposed to these fumes can experience “polymer fume fever” resulting in symptoms similar to the flu (chills, fever, cough, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing). If you a pan overheat and you are exposed to the fumes from Teflon, move away from the toxic area and into fresh air as soon as possible.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PFAS accumulations in the body may lead to several health concerns, including: Increased cholesterol. Low-birth weights in infants. Decreased vaccine responses.
What Is Teflon Flu? “Teflon flu is a flu-like illness that occurs after inhaling byproducts of PTFE fumes,” says Dr. Mastro. These byproducts may be inhaled if Teflon pans are overheated or if you handle raw Teflon materials as part of your job.
Symptoms of Teflon flu are temporary and generally start within 12 hours of exposure, but can take up to 24 hours to take hold.
The primary testing methods for PTFE coatings are the Mechanical Scratch Test (MST), the dry egg test, and the LGA shaker test, a method common in Europe.
Most labs test for a small number of PFAS chemicals. Talk to your healthcare provider to discuss if blood testing is right for you. Testing may be informative if you have had very high exposures to PFAS that are not typical of the general population, such as occupational settings.
Nonstick Pans Do Not Last Forever
A good rule of thumb is to replace them approximately every five years.
Broken or scratched Teflon coating could lead to the release of thousands to millions of plastic particles, a study suggests. The coating may shed microplastics and PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to health risks including liver disease and kidney cancer.
Teflon® is a registered trademark of DuPont and a brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) a nonstick finish. While Calphalon cookware features polytetrafluoroethylene-based nonstick finishes, we are not associated with, nor do we use, Teflon® branded products.
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.
Most air fryer baskets are coated with Teflon or a similar nonstick coating. The majority of air fryers in the market today have Teflon or nonstick-coated cooking baskets. They function similarly to nonstick cookware in that they release food easily and can be cleaned often with just soapy, hot water.
The symptoms of Teflon flu include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and dry cough. Stainless steel, ceramic, and cast iron cookware are great alternatives.
Management of PANS/PANDAS can be accomplished via doses of melatonin or Benadryl and long-acting anxiolytic medications. Support and behavior therapy for parents is recommended even before a child begins treatment (50:51).
Below are the average lifespans of the most popular cookware materials. Nonstick cookware: Low-quality nonstick pans may last only two years, while premium nonstick pans may keep functioning for five to ten years. The nonstick coating will usually wear away as the pan reaches a decade.