Some people just love the balloons, and you may want to know How long can you inhale helium? Well, you should remember that the more pure helium you inhale, the longer your body is without crucial oxygen. Breathing in pure helium can cause death by asphyxiation in just minutes. But if you insist on inhaling helium for hilarious purposes, then you should read this article to know how long is safe to keep inhaling helium.
How long can you inhale helium?
If you breathe pure helium, you will die in a matter of seconds, considerably faster than if you drowned in water. Because breathing a non-oxygen gas takes oxygen from your blood and into the gas. So if you can stay 1-2 minutes under water, consider yourself have only 20 seconds to inhale pure helium.
A mixture of helium and oxygen (for example 80% helium and 20% oxygen), however, can be inhaled much longer. Still, we recommend you don’t take a massive inhalation and hold it. Take several rests in between trying helium.
If you’re looking for more information, you should read How long does it take for helium to leave your body?
Is Inhaling Helium Dangerous?
Although it may appear to be innocent fun, the dangers of helium inhalation are real. It is an asphyxiating agent that causes dizziness or unconsciousness. It can induce confusion and even death, in addition to generalised hypoxia. Inhaling it can possibly result in a lung rupture.
Helium inhalation is hazardous. The danger of helium gas is not that it is harmful, as helium is an inert gas. When helium gas is inhaled instead of normal air, it acts as an asphyxiant. Inhaling helium is risky because it can reduce your body’s oxygen levels to dangerously low levels, resulting in hypoxia.
This is referred to as Inert Gas Asphyxiation. Breathing only helium, or any inert gas, results in a severe lack of oxygen. Helium displaces the air in your lungs, including the necessary oxygen.
Helium Gas Danger of an Embolism or Ruptured Lung
Inhaling helium too deeply or straight from a gas cylinder poses an increased risk of helium gas poisoning. Helium gas under pressure can create a deadly embolism. An embolism is a blood vessel blockage produced by a gas bubble in this example.
This can result in a stroke, seizures, or even death. Inhaling pressurized gas can potentially harm the lungs. The lungs’ air sacs are likely to rupture, and patients will almost certainly die as they drown in their own blood.