Over the past few years, lung cancer no longer remains among men only but is also on the rise among women. This is primarily due to shifts in smoking habits and environmental exposures. Many women remain unaware that they are at risk until it’s too late. Some studies are being conducted to evaluate the relationship between cooking oil fume exposure and lung cancer among non-smoking women.
Poor kitchen ventilation and daily exposure to cooking fumes may silently work towards increasing lung cancer risk among non-smoking women.
Cooking oil fumes from cooking with hot oil may distort lung health. When women breathe in unhealthy smoke with biomass fuels, the exposure is linked with higher risks of lung diseases. In various conducted studies, the risk of lung cancer was higher among culinary workers who performed actual cooking tasks as compared to those among non-culinary workers. Some studies also indicate that non-smoking women exposed to cooking fumes for extended time may higher chance of developing lung cancer. Also, appropriate ventilation at workplace and home helps in improving lung health. There’s need to develop interventions that could improve access to affordable and clean fuel.
The causes of lung cancer are complex, and thus, solely cooking or being in the kitchen is not responsible for the disease. But, poor ventilation and breathing in fumes everyday for extended period of time affects the lungs. Home passive smoking exposure, indoor air pollution, cooking oil fume exposure and previous respiratory diseases have been demonstrated as causes of lung cancer. Exposure to environmental risk factors is responsible for development of lung cancer as well.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek advice of your doctor with any questions about medical condition.
Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or X today to stay informed and never miss an update!