Does Breathing in Paint Destroy Lungs?

[fluffy0o0o]

Hi there, recently i made some shirts with a friend and we drew on the shirt with fabric paints. i do a lot of cross country running in high school and i was wondering if me breathing the the fumes from the paints damages my lungs. i was breathing in the paints for about an hour. did that destroy/ damage my lungs? if it did damage my lungs will my lungs repair themselves? or am i just over reacting to something minor. your help is much apreciated =)

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello -

While there's no chance you damaged your lungs, depending upon the type of paint it could have some effect on different organ systems, but only if it's highly volatile and is inhaled in a poorly ventilated atmosphere. I'm not familar with fabric paint specifically, but you might look on the label for warnings about inhaling and what the contents are. Most paints are fairly innocent now, although some paint thinners (usually used in house painting) can be fairly noxious. They won't hurt your lungs as a rule, but prolonged, repeated exposure in unventilated areas can be damaging to the liver, kidneys or brain over long periods of time, and even this is rare. You weren't using house paint products or thinners. I think this is all fine.

Hope this is helpful. It's better to check and be safe rather than sorry. No need to worry though.

Good luck to you.