Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – July 31, 2024 – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but did you know that certain kitchen items you use may be making you feel sick?

Nonstick pans are incredibly useful when making your morning eggs, but there has been a rise in the “Teflon flu,” also known as polymer fume fever.

These nonstick pans, when overheated, can lead to what is being called the Teflon flu. Non-stick pans typically have coatings that make them nonstick that contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and when overheated, especially over 500 degrees Fahrenheit, causes harmful fumes to be released. The heat causes the coating to break down into fine particles that can get into the lungs, causing respiratory symptoms. Long term exposure to these particles may worsen respiratory conditions.

Typically people who inhale the toxic fumes from nonstick pans can develop flu-like symptoms within a few hours. The symptoms include fever, chills, coughing, nausea, fatigue, and headaches. These should go away on their own after a couple of days.

If you believe you are experiencing Teflon flu symptoms, move away from the fume source and drink a lot of water. You can take over the counter pain medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to relieve symptoms.

To continue to use your nonstick pans safely, reserve them for lower-temperature cooking. In addition to doing that, have plenty of ventilation, such as open windows and using exhaust fans while cooking. The Chemours Company, maker of Teflon, says you shouldn’t preheat dry nonstick pans, this can cause them to overheat quickly and can even damage the nonstick coating. Finally, be sure to always read the packaging and tags of your products to ensure you are using them properly. With the right precautions people can safely use nonstick pans.

Alternatives to nonstick pans include a cast iron skillet or pans made of stainless steel, as they don’t use PTFEs.