Is sucking in helium from a balloon bad for you?

Question

I did about 6-8 balloons within three hours.

Answer 1

For what you are thinking of no, however in large doses helium is actually the number one thing used in euthanasia (mercy killing).

A couple of college kids found this out the hard way when they tried to get into a helium filled balloon that was large enough to actually crawl into (think about those balloons over car dealers). They died and became the 2006 Darwin award winners (an award given out annual for people who die from being stupid). See site:

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/

Answer 2

YES you idiot. Sorry, I am a cop and I am tired of finding kids dead because "Dude, check this out". This falls in the line of "Huffing". Fortunately the odds of death are minute but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Luckily for us the bottles of helium we buy are not true 100% helium. There is a blend of inert gases inside it. Huffing anything can do 2 things
1) Displace the oxygen within your lungs (this causes the feeling of light headiness and euphoria that you have experienced)
(2) Depending on where you get the gas it can freeze the tissues in your lungs. Remember from basic physics that if you compress a gas you raise it's temperature. Well, it is generally bottled in liquid form from being under compression therefore when you change it back to its gaseous form (by opening the bottle and releasing the pressure) it will lower the temperature and some gases will go well below zero and cause instant freezing and frostbite.
Bottom line - KNOCK it off I don't want to tell your parents that their idiot son (or daughter) died while doing an idiotic stunt while pretending that I feel sorry that our gene pool might improve.

Are there any other adults reading some of these responses? People please tell your kids and those that you are involved with how deadly "Huffing" can be. I don't care what the chemical or gas is. Read these answers they are giving - where are they learning this stuff from? They don't have a clue. Look either you take responsibility for your child or I while and when I have to get involved it is usually not pretty and not a happy moment.

Answer 3

The issue is Helium replacing the oxygen in your lungs. Helium is lighter and doesn't give your body what oxygen does. Your lung capacity will come into play as well as your general fitness level. As long as you breathe it out (take nice deep breaths and project) and you should be ok. I'm sure you were light headed.
Some companies also put in other chemicals to slow the leakage of Helium out of the balloon, that stuff is bad for you.
If you feel sick, call the squad.

Answer 4

Congratulations on sucking the helium out of 6-8 balloons. I hope you and your friends got quite a kick out of your high voice. Sorry to tell you, but you are a little more dumb now than you were yesterday because doing this kills brain cells. I actually read this in a scientific article. You might want to cut back on the helium because I'm guessing you can't afford to lose many more.

Answer 5

The voice of a person who has inhaled helium temporarily sounds high-pitched.
Although the vocal effect of inhaling helium may be amusing, it can be dangerous if done to excess since helium is a simple asphyxiant, thus it displaces oxygen needed for normal respiration. Death by asphyxiation will result within minutes if pure helium is breathed continuously. In mammals (with the notable exceptions of seals and many burrowing animals) the breathing reflex is triggered by excess of carbon dioxide rather than lack of oxygen, so asphyxiation by helium progresses without the victim experiencing air hunger. Inhaling helium directly from pressurized cylinders is extremely dangerous as the high flow rate can result in barotrauma, fatally rupturing lung tissue. Helium may also cause lung collapse.

Neutral helium at standard conditions is non-toxic, plays no biological role and is found in trace amounts in human blood. At high pressures, a mixture of helium and oxygen (heliox) can lead to high pressure nervous syndrome; however, increasing the proportion of nitrogen can alleviate the problem.

Containers of helium gas at 5 to 10 K should be handled as if they have liquid helium inside due to the rapid and significant thermal expansion that occurs when helium gas at less than 10 K is warmed to room temperature.

Answer 6

Apart from giving you a Mickey Mouse voice (and a high), helium inhalation can be dangerous and possibly fatal.

Helium displaces oxygen. If the concentration of oxygen in your system falls below 18%, asphyxia (can't breathe) and death follow. Ergo; inhaling helium is stupid.

Answer 7

Short term the lighter Helium replaces air around your vocal cords and reduces the density of the gass, allowing a high frequency of vibration in your vocal cords. Since Helium is a noble gas, it doesn't react with other substance easily. So there is no negative long term effect, if you continue to breate Oxygen between ballons. All things in moderation.

Answer 8

Only the the extent that is replaces oxygen,

Many people are not aware the the breathing reflex is based on too much CO2 and has nothing to do with oxygen.

So you you walked into a room of nitrogen or helium you would begin feeling dizzy, pass out and die without feeling the need to breath deeply.

Answer 9

Evidence has shown that the inhalation of helium can be fatal. One of the world’s largest producers of helium, Praxair technology, Inc. says that inhalation of helium can cause sudden acute asphyxia characterized by fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, loss of coordination, suffocation, convulsions, unconsciousness, coma, and death. Adverse effects from inhaling helium is a medical emergency. Don’t inhale helium and discourage others from doing it, especially in front of children.

Answer 10

Not particularly -- if you remember to breathe air between lungfuls of helium.
If you feel even slightly lightheaded, quit inhaling balloons.