9 healthy and psychological risks that threaten adolescents due to inhalation of helium

Doctors have warned of the health and psychological risks associated with inhalation of helium gas, which is increasingly used in recreational circles and social events, especially among children and adolescents, with the aim of changing the tone of sound or out of curiosity and collective joking.

They told «Emirates Today» that inhalation of helium gas in an entertainment and random manner may cause nine health, psychological, and generous risks, including “sudden dizziness, oxygen deficiency in the body (lack of oxygen), loss of consciousness, suffocation or respiratory collapse, sudden death in extreme cases as a result of hypoxia or air trauma, torn bonuses in The lungs, antenna blockage in the blood vessels, stroke or physical injuries as a result of falling after fainting, psychological and behavioral risks such as weakening of physical responsibility and (temporary addiction) associated with challenges on communication platforms and the impact of friends.

They emphasized that this behavior, which appears to be simple and funny, actually involves a direct threat to the health of the respiratory system, and may lead to severe complications or even dangerous accidents, calling for an immediate stopping of dealing with helium as a means of entertainment, as it constitutes a double danger to people with chronic chest diseases, such as asthma, along with its effect in children with limited pulmonary capacity, which makes Inhaling it is more threatened with their health.

They pointed to realistic cases received by emergency departments as a result of inhaling helium gas, which included children and adolescents who were exposed to sudden collapse during a party. They called for a ban on the use of random helium, and restricted its circulation outside the professional and medical frameworks, while tightening control over its sale.

In detail, a lung disease specialist, Dr. Assem Eid Youssef, warned of the dangerous health risks associated with inhalation of helium gas, as entertainment behavior, especially between children and adolescents or those who suffer from chronic chest diseases, indicating that this behavior, despite its spread in occasions and festive atmosphere, may lead to severe medical complications, most notably the lack of oxygen, dizziness and loss Consciousness, and the torn altoing in the lungs, and may even amount to sudden suffocation.

He explained that helium is a gas that does not contain oxygen, and when inhaled it, it replaces the air in the lungs, which causes a condition known as a “lack of oxygen”, pointing out that this condition is especially dangerous for asthma patients or those who have respiratory problems, saying: “Inhaling helium from an ordinary balloon may seem virtually safe, but it is not without the risk of hypnosis, inhaling it, but inhaling it from a cylinder Confused is more dangerous, and it may lead to pulmonary rupture or antenna in the blood vessels. ”

He emphasized that the emergency departments actually receive cases caused by inhalation of helium, and were dealt with by monitoring vital signs and saturation of oxygen, and they left after the stability of the situation, but some of them could have been subjected to more dangerous complications without the speed of intervention.

He called for intensifying societal awareness about the dangers of helium, and preventing children from inhaling it permanently, while tightening control over the sale of gas cylinders, so that they are available for professional purposes only, and under the supervision of specialists, while obliging suppliers to put clear warnings on cylinders and packed balloons, as he called schools and organizers of family events to avoid the inclusion of any entertainment activities that include inhalation Helium, stressing the importance of the family’s role in monitoring children’s use of balloons, and avoiding any behaviors that may endanger them, or use it to fill balloons or change the tone of sound, saying: “Helium is not a game, and its random use may turn a moment of joy into a healthy tragedy.”

The emergency medicine consultant, Dr. Ahmed Al -Qaraguli, warned of the indiscriminate and misuse of helium gas, stressing that inhaling it for the purpose of entertainment, as happens in parties and events, may lead to dangerous complications, such as loss of consciousness, fall, concussion, and may lead to death as a result of a lack of oxygen.

He explained that helium gas, although it is not toxic, in color, odorless and non -flammable and is usually used in filling balloons, and in many industrial and medical uses, including the treatment of low pressure disease, its inhalation causes a rapid expense of oxygen from the lungs, which leads to a sharp decrease in oxygen levels in the body, indicating that this causes a feeling of dizziness and fainting, and may cause a sudden breakdown with A person, especially in closed or poorly ventilated places.

He added that children are more at risk, given their low lung capacity and their limited reserves of oxygen, which makes them more vulnerable to collapse even after inhaling small amounts of helium compared to adults.

He mentioned a realistic story that embodies the danger of inhaling helium gas, as a group of children and adolescents were subjected to a group collapse during one of the parties, after using the gas in order to entertain and change the tone The hospital was hospitalized immediately after suffering an open leg fracture in the leg, which required a speedy surgical intervention.

Dr. Mirna Choubih, a clinical psychologist, explained that the attraction of children and adolescents to use helium despite his abnormal voice is due to multiple psychological and behavioral reasons, most of which are related to evolutionary, social and emotional factors, as its use mostly stems from curiosity, social reinforcement and the attractiveness of instant change.

And I warned against the use of helium to change the sound because it may turn from just a passing experience into repeated behavior or what is similar to “temporary addiction”, driven by immediate psychological reinforcement, collective laughter and the interest that the teenager receives from his peers, as well as warning of competitions that are published on social media platforms for “helium challenge”.

She stressed that this behavior is not without psychological dangers, as it negatively affects the child’s sense of responsibility towards his body, and his awareness of personal safety is weakened, saying: “Children and adolescents are still in the stage of building their physical awareness, and when they link pleasure with an experiment that weakens the body or causes dizziness, this may lead to normalization of unsafe behavior without their awareness of their consequences.” Five practical recommendations were made to reduce the random use of shellium, which included raising awareness in a calm and suitable way and clarifying that inhaling it may cause fainting or suffocation in some cases, limiting unattended access to helium cylinders at home, and encouraging children to use balloons for creative purposes without inhalation of gas, and including helium risks in daily safety conversations, just as well We talk about sharp objects or chemicals, and preparing older children to understand and deal with peer pressure wisely, especially with regard to the challenges scattered online.

Procedures to ensure the safety of use

Dubai Municipality has warned, through a technical guide issued by the Health and Safety Department, that the improper dealing with helium gas may lead to dangerous complications, the most prominent of which is suffocation and loss of consciousness, especially when it is immediately inhaled.

The technical guide designated for all dealers with helium gas, including organizers, retailers and consumers, aims to ensure safe and proper use of helium balloons, and provide clear and comprehensive safety instructions regarding dealing with helium gas cylinders, storing them and using them in balloons applications, in order to ensure safe operation of activities related to helium. The evidence emphasized that the technical guidance document applies to all institutions inside Dubai, which works in the field of handling, storing, transporting and using helium gas cylinders for balloons applications.

Big balloons … suffocating children

Community and General Health Consultant, Dr. Saif Darwish, explained that helium is one of the light gases, and when inhaled the sound passes through the throat more quickly, which makes its tone thin and funny, which causes many to use it for entertainment, but its danger is that it expels the oxygen from the lungs without the person feels, which leads to a sharp decrease in the percentage of oxygen inside the body, and may cause loss of consciousness Permanent brain.

He stressed that inhaling it directly from the compressed cylinders is very dangerous, as high pressure may lead to the rupture of the vesicles and the occurrence of a rumor of chest, a dangerous condition that may cause the air to enter the chest cavity, as it may lead to what is known as the “gas embolism”, which is the entry of gas bubbles into the bloodstream that may reach the brain and cause fatal clots.

He added: “The child’s lung is smaller and more affected, so the risks have double, and deaths have been recorded in countries, such as New Zealand and the United States due to inhalation of helium.”

He advised not to mobilize balloons with helium in closed or dedicated to children’s play, and use an ordinary air blower instead, while confirming the need to store helium cylinders in cold and safe places and far from the reach of children, and to put clear warnings on them.

He emphasized the importance of permanent control of parents when using balloons, especially large balloons, such as “Miller”, which may cause suffocation if they are inhaled or bitten by children.

He indicated that the national injuries database in the United States recorded between 2019 and 2000 about 2186 infections linked to helium gas, 65% of which are for children from six to 12 years, with the number of cases double every five years, explaining that the American toxicity centers system in 2021 indicated that there are 123 reports of being exposed to shellium and transferred 61% of the injured after them to hospitals, and on European Upper Egypt, toxicity centers mentioned 600,000 calls annually about suffocation, half of them, as a result of helium inhalation.

He called on all concerned authorities, from schools, entertainment centers and parents, to raise awareness of the dangers of inhalation of helium gas, and to prevent children from using it without supervision, and stressed the need to train workers on first aid and follow strict safety policies in storing and using this gas.