Is Your Nonstick Pan Making You Sick? Suspected Cases Of 'Teflon Flu' Are Rising
There are a ton of things out there that you interact with regularly that have the potential to make you sick—and many aren’t even on your radar.
But buzz is building around so-called "Teflon flu" after a growing number of people have reported getting sick from using pans coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), aka Teflon.
Over the past twenty years, poison centers in the United States have received more than 3,600 reports of suspected cases of “polymer fume fever,” a flu-like illness linked to a chemical coating found on some nonstick pans, according to a new report in the Washington Post.
In 2023, there were 267 suspected cases of the illness, which is believed to be one of the highest reported totals since 2000, according to America’s Poison Centers, a nonprofit organization that oversees 55 U.S. poison centers.
Meet the Experts: Jamie Alan, Ph.D., is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. Christopher W. Meaden, MD, is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine & Medical Toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Getting sick from your pans sounds like something out of a horror movie. And experts say that Teflon flu can and does happen, in rare cases.
So, what is Teflon flu and how can you lower the risk this will happen to you? Here's what experts have to say.
What is Teflon flu?
Teflon flu, aka polymer fume fever, is a term used to describe people who have gotten sick after being exposed to fumes from Teflon pans, according to the National Capital Poison Center.
“Nonstick pans in general are sometimes coated with forever chemicals. When these are heated to a very high temperature —over 500 degrees Fahrenheit—the coating can become volatile and people can inhale PFAS (forever chemicals) fumes,” explains Jamie Alan, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.
PTFE-coated cookware can cause uncomfortable symptoms if a pan is left on a burner for too long and the pan overheats or goes dry, Alan says. When these factors come together, you can end up inhaling tiny airborne particles that have metallic oxides, per the Missouri Poison Center.
“This inhalation of a foreign substance elicits an immune response, not so different from the immune response that happens when you have a virus like influenza,” Alan says.
What are the symptoms of Teflon flu?
Symptoms of Teflon flu usually include a fever and other symptoms you’d associate with the “regular” flu, like feeling lousy and rundown, according to the Missouri Poison Center. Those can include:
Fever and chills
Headache and dizziness
Fatigue and malaise
Nausea and vomiting
Cough and chest tightness
"It is similar to another self-remitting illness seen in the welding industry, known as metal fume fever," says Christopher W. Meaden, MD, assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. "Patients will have an onset of symptoms several hours after they were exposed to the fumes."
How do you treat Teflon flu?
There is no magical treatment for Teflon flu, but there are important steps you should take. The Missouri Poison Center recommends that you move away from the source of the fumes. If you’ve been cooking, shut off the heat source.
Then, drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated and take OTC medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to try to manage the fever and body aches.
“Call your doctor and head to the ER if symptoms are severe,” Alan says. Trouble breathing as a sure sign you should seek care.
In the future, do your best to have your cooking area be well ventilated. Also worth noting: You don’t have to use PTFE-coated cookware. If you find that Teflon flu is an issue for you, you can choose pots and pans that don’t use this coating.
How long does Teflon flu last?
It depends on how long you’re exposed to the substance. According to the Missouri Poison Center, symptoms should go away with 24 to 48 hours after you’re no longer exposed to Teflon.
“After exposure and immune response, the symptoms should clear fairly quickly once your immune system has some time to calm down,” Alan says.
Overall, Alan says that Teflon flu may be more common than people realize. “I am guessing that some cases are not reported because people just think they have a cold or flu.”
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