There's no cure for popcorn lung. You'll need to have life-long care to manage the symptoms, which may not always respond well to treatment.
While the name "popcorn lung" may not sound like a threat, it's a serious lung disease that causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, similar to the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The main symptoms of popcorn lung are a dry cough and shortness of breath. These show up between 2 weeks and 2 months after you've been around a toxic gas or had an illness. You're especially likely to have them when you're exercising or doing heavy labor.
What is popcorn lung? Popcorn lung (bronchiolitis obliterans) is an uncommon type of lung disease, but it is not cancer. It's caused by a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs, which blocks the flow of air. A possible link has been suggested between the disease and a chemical called diacetyl.
The Symptoms of Popcorn Lung
Short of breath. Crackles (“sounds like Velcro or Rice Crispies”) detected with a stethoscope. Cough that doesn't go away. Oxygen levels that nosedive when walking.
Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death. Some chemicals in vaping products can also cause cardiovascular disease and biological changes that are associated with cancer development.
Popcorn lung usually needs to be diagnosed using an X-ray, CT scan, or surgical lung biopsy, as the condition is often misdiagnosed as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis. Your doctor may also want to conduct a pulmonary function test.
“We also observed that when patients ceased vaping, they had a partial reversal of the condition over one to four years, though not complete due to residual scarring in the lung tissue.”
An individual with bronchiolitis obliterans has a six-year life expectancy on average. Some treatments for bronchiolitis obliterans can slow progression and lessen the severity of the symptoms. Early diagnosis is crucial because treatment will have a greater chance of preventing the disease from getting worse.
Change VG:PG Ratio
If you continue to suffer a vaping cough, try a E-liquid with different the VG:PG ratio. A lower PG and higher VG ratio may be smoother, and somehow can reduce coughing. However, E-juice with higher VG tends to contain less nicotine, which might leave you an unsatisfied experience.
Vaping can also cause lung inflammation, which has been linked to chronic lung disease as well. “Dangerous chemicals found in e-cigarettes include acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, which have been associated with heart disease in addition to lung disease.”
The source of diacetyl and AP in e-liquids is the flavorings used to make them. The most obvious ones are e-juices with buttery flavors, like custards and other sweet desserts. But some candy- and fruit-flavored e-liquids and even tobacco flavors can also contain diketones like diacetyl.
Generally, people with popcorn lung have a lower life expectancy than the rest of the population. Life expectancy for bronchiolitis obliterans varies widely and depends on the severity and cause of the condition.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
Popcorn lung (bronchiolitis obliterans) belongs to a family of lung diseases called interstitial lung diseases (ILD). While you may not have heard of even the most common ILD, pulmonary fibrosis, Bonham says, “it's one of the more common reasons we do lung transplants.”
Vaping and Popcorn Lung
Diacetyl is frequently added to flavored e-liquid to enhance the taste. Inhaling diacetyl causes inflammation and may lead to permanent scarring in the smallest branches of the airways — popcorn lung — which makes breathing difficult. Popcorn lung has no lasting treatment.
While lung tissue cells do regenerate, there's no way a smoker can return to having the lungs of a non-smoker. At best, they will carry a few scars from their time smoking, and at worst, they're stuck with certain breathing difficulties for the rest of their lives.
Diacetyl and popcorn lung
The chemical, in cases of high exposure, has been associated with a rare disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. The name 'popcorn lung' came from cases of the disease found in popcorn factory workers, who had high levels of exposure to diacetyl, which was used to flavour popcorn.
Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a rare inflammatory lung disorder which was first described in the 1980's as a unique disease entity composed of clinical symptoms such as flu-like illness in many individuals as well as cough and shortness of breath with exertional activities.
BOOP is a highly curable disease. In some cases, mild BOOP may go away on its own. Doctors may monitor people with mild cases and may treat them later. A common treatment for BOOP is a regimen of corticosteroids, and it responds well to this type of therapy.
WHY DO YOU COUGH WHEN YOU VAPE? There are a few reasons why you might cough when you vape that include a damaged or faulty vape atomizer, incorrect set up of your vape device, poor quality e-liquid, high levels of nicotine or propylene glycol (PG) and using the incorrect inhale technique on your device.
One 2019 study found that e-cigarette users had higher levels of protease enzymes in lung cells than non-users. These high enzyme levels can cause emphysema. Another 2019 study found that vaping was a risk factor for developing respiratory diseases, including COPD and asthma.
Physical symptoms include “headaches, sweating, tremors, insomnia, increased appetite, abdominal cramps, and constipation,” Dr. Djordjevic says. These are the first effects you're likely to feel, often within four to 24 hours after quitting.