Besides changing your pitch, does sucking in helium do anything else do you?

Question

I know that sucking in helium changes your pitch which can be really funny, but are there any serious conotations to sucking in helium aside from that (which is not serious at all)?

Answer 1

Well, it can displace the oxygen from your lungs if you suck in too much for too long....making you a bit dizzy, but that is virtually true of any odd gas.

The problem with helium is *where* you suck it from. :)

From balloons it is fairly harmless.

From the tank, it is not, as it is under greater pressure in the tank (more risk of displacing that oxygen as more gas rushes in). And also, it is MUCH colder in the tank, which can freeze and *damage* lung tissue, leaving you bleeding internally in a manner that your average Emergency room finds hard to treat.

It is rare, but it can happen if you are dumb enough to whiff helium from the tank. I've read exactly *two* articles in the local papers in my 40 years of life where this happened.....one person died, the other simply was not well for weeks as his lungs had to heal and be rehabilitated.

Hope this helps. :) And don't get too crazy with the cutesy voice thing!

Answer 2

Effects Of Sucking Helium

Answer 3

YES!! Sucking in helium also lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood. That's why you get a head rush if you do it too much.... lack of oxygen to the brain. Although it doesn't have the effects on the body of huffing gas or paint thinner, it is still dangerous and can have permanent consequences. A little at a kids party for fun will probably not kill all your brain cells, but repeated use will. Be careful.

Answer 4

Unless you suck a lot of helium (like close to a tank full) there will be no seriously dangerous effects. It could damage vocal cords, or pass out due to lack of oxygen to the brain, if done repetedly enough in a short time. Also if you suck way too much (3-4 tanks straight) then you could suffer brain damage.

Answer 5

The only thing to beware of is to not overdo it. Helium is totally inert, so it is not in the least toxic, but that also means that it does not support life. So be careful to get enough oxygen. The pitch change arises because the speed of sound is nearly three times as fast as it is in air, so the resonant frequencies of the cavities in your nose and throat are increased accordingly. There is no effect on the vocal cords.

Answer 6

I am amazed that nobody has mentioned how helium mixes in scuba tanks allow deep divers to go much deeper under water than conventional air, and is used to prevent nitrogen narcosis (The Bends) which can be fatal to divers. With helium, divers can stay down longer, dive deeper, and work more efficiently because they are not suffering the effects of nitrogen forming in the bloodstream.

Answer 7

Helium does not stretch your vocal cords to create the high pitch. It has more to do with the speed at which the sound waves pass through the helium-rich breath compared to a more natural air mixture.

Answer 8

Yes, sucking in helium deprives your brain of oxygen and can kill brain cells as easily as any drug that is snorted. In large amounts it can cause serious permanent damage and be potentially life-threatening.

Answer 9

Yes, breathing a helium, oxygen mix prevents nitrogen narcosis in deep water scuba diving. Nitrogen narcosis can kill a diver.

Answer 10

it actually stretches your vocal cords so if you suck in a lot at once or over time this can cause permanent damage to your vocal cords.

you can also pass out if you get too much in your lungs and system instead of air/oxygen. get enough in your body at once and it can cause brain issues and damage.