Hot pepper + lungs

Sometimes when cooking with hot peppers, I feel the need to cough etc. I don't do this around my bird often, but I was making some wild rice for her tonight and when I added some dried birds-eye peppers, the "heat" (spice) was released into the air via steam. I spaced out and wasn't thinking (duh!--plenty of experience to know better). It was a covered pot and I reduced to simmer---after a good stir, the potency seemed greatly reduced.

Nevertheless, I ended up cooking the rice for less time than intended just to ere on the side of caution. I wasn't coughing, and it was nothing like the crazy pepper frying memories from my childhood (which included my dad yelling evacuate on a weekly basis lol) BUT, tonight, I felt it a bit in my lungs-just right after adding the peppers..nothing too extreme...but noticeable.

She is fine currently. This was an hour ago, so I know she is out of the woods (if there was ever even a risk) but is this safe/unsafe (for future reference). I know they can EAT them without problems, but what about inhaling the airborne irritants?

I think you abd are sensitive to hot peppers. Because when I cut them up my lungs burn. I'll make sure to never hest them if you think that makes it worse, but for me just touching them does that.

I don't know---I mean, I have an extreme tolerance for spicy food (ate a ton of peppers as a small child).... It just occurred to me that that doesn't really translate to the rest of my body (eyes, throat), so I wondered if it does to hers?


They definitely get into the air when heated. Even though her taste-buds are fewer, her lungs are more sensitive.


Thanks for the reply and if anyone knows anything else, let me know!

Well, I have a longitudinal case study by the noted research team Rival and Rickeybird et al, "The Effect of Cooking Hot Chile and Related Particulates on Mammalian and Avian Lungs" (2018). We are all native Texans and New Mexicans here, and we eat chiles in every form, and have for 30-40 years. Everybody's lungs are great. We recommend further research utilizing a range of subjects with control/treatment groups.

galeriagila said:

well, i have a longitudinal case study by the noted research team rival and rickeybird et al, "the effect of cooking hot chile and related particulates on mammalian and avian lungs" (2018). We are all native texans and new mexicans here, and we eat chiles in every form, and have for 30-40 years. Everybody's lungs are great. We recommend further research utilizing a range of subjects with control/treatment groups.

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lol!!! Thanks!

That's funny! I wanted to eat the chili peppers cuz they are so good for us! But since just cutting them makes me cough and feel like my lungs are burning I have not been brave enough to try!!