What is laughing gas? What are its properties? In what areas is the substance used? Why are laughing gas balls so popular? What is the danger of absorption of a substance? I would like to talk about all this in our publication.
Laughing gas: formula
The substance is called diazot oxide, as well as nitrous oxide. Such a compound is known as N 2 O. In anesthesiology and narcology, a substance has the definition of laughing gas. This is due to the intoxicating effect that gas has on the human body.
Historical reference
Laughing gas is a substance also known as nitrous oxide. The discovery is an achievement by an American scientist named Joseph Priestley. Thanks to the chemical reaction, this person obtained a volatile substance heavier than air. The researcher noted that laughing gas is a compound that has a sweetish aftertaste and unexpressed aroma.
During the experiments, Priestley acted on copper with nitric acid. Initially, the scientist managed to isolate nitric oxide (NO). Subsequently, the scientist received pure laughing gas, the formula of which is of the form N 2 O.
For a long time, laughing gas was used solely for entertainment purposes. So, in 1844, a wandering artist Gardner Colton began to organize mass shows. During such events, a volunteer was called onto the scene. Breathing in the laughing gas, a person began to have uncontrollable fun, dance and bounce. Once one of the “experimental” stumbled and was injured. However, he did not feel pain at all. Dentist Horace Wells drew attention to this property. The latter bought a whole cylinder of gas from Colton and began to use the substance as anesthesia for tooth extraction in his own patients.
Subsequently, the practice of using the substance for medical purposes did not find approval. The reason for this is Horace Wells' addiction to chloroform, which discredited him as a doctor. The experiences of this man for many years have been forgotten. After several decades, the interest in laughing gas was revived by the very same Gardner Colton, who began to offer nitrous oxide to dentists for use as an effective anesthetic.
origin of name
Why is the substance called laughing gas? This definition arose thanks to the experiments of the British chemist Humphrey Davy. In his youth, this person retrained from a pharmacy worker to an assistant surgeon. Once his gums ached, after which the researcher decided to become a test subject in his own experiment. Davy experienced the effects of nitrous oxide. As soon as he inhaled the substance, the discomfort immediately receded. Some time passed, and the pain returned. The young chemist repeated the experiment. After a slight sensation of intoxication, Humphrey was confronted with a fit of inexplicable, uncontrolled laughter. The effect was observed for several minutes.
Once a chemist accidentally broke a flask with nitrous oxide in a laboratory. The staff in the room immediately began to laugh. The fun went on for quite some time. Humphrey finally realized that the reason is the specific effect of the substance on the nervous system. It was then that the first recording was made in which nitrous oxide was called the laughing gas.
Fields of application
Laughing gas is a substance that has been used in the field of anesthesiology for many decades. Apply the substance during operations, as well as in dentistry. The oxide of laughing gas has become widespread in gynecology.
When combined in optimal proportions with oxygen, the substance has an analgesic effect on the human body, eliminates nervous tension. Such properties become useful in the treatment of diseases surgically, in the case of prosthetics or tooth extraction, during labor.
Initially, when doctors did not fully understand that it was a laughing gas, the substance was used without oxygen. Undiluted substance was proposed to be inhaled by patients for several minutes, which often led to respiratory arrest and death. Such cases necessitated the development of a special unit that created safe nitrous oxide of laughing gas and oxygen. Proper use of the substance showed a lack of harm to health. Nitrogen (laughing gas) was quickly removed from the body and allowed a person to return to an adequate perception of things.
Nowadays, the substance is in the public domain. Often, sellers do not note that laughing gas is a rather dangerous substance that can only be used in limited doses. Thus, a new direction of substance abuse was formed.
Can laughing gas replace alcohol and tobacco?
There is an opinion that laughing gas is an extremely dangerous substance. To understand whether this is so, it is enough to compare the substance with the same alcohol. For example, a hangover is never felt from consuming laughing gas. If you approach the use of the substance wisely, there is no addictive effect.
Using balls with laughing gas, many heavy smokers manage to get rid of cravings for tobacco products in a short time. In this case, absolutely no harm is done to internal organs. Moreover, when using the substance in the right proportions there is no risk for the development of various diseases.
Some experts argue that laughing gas should not be used in combination with alcohol. After all, such behavior is fraught with causing significant harm to health. Indeed, inhaling the substance on a drunken head is not worth it. After all, a person under the influence of alcohol often does not know the measure. In addition, when intoxicated, hypoxia is not so acute. Therefore, the risk of overdosing with laughing gas increases.
Laughing gas action
How does a substance act on an organism? It is immediately worth noting that laughing gas does not form bonds with hemoglobin in the blood. When inhaled, the substance dissolves in plasma without exposing the cells and bodily fluids to changes. As you consume a person feels a slight intoxication. Upon completion of the action, the substance completely leaves the body through the respiratory tract. Sobriety of consciousness occurs in 10-15 minutes.
When drinking alcohol, a person will have a tendency to commit rash acts, some aggression. In the case of laughing gas, which is diluted with oxygen in optimal proportions, full adequacy is maintained. A person only feels some relaxation.
The effect of laughing gas is not only in raising the mood and eliminating feelings of anxiety. The substance also dulls pain and causes euphoria. However, the use of the substance in unlimited quantities has some negative consequences, which will be discussed later in our material.
Which mixture is considered harmless?
The researchers found that the use of a mixture in which 80% of food nitrous oxide and 20% oxygen is not negative for the body does not present. This proportion is considered the safest. It is the use of such a compound that does not cause asphyxiation and poisoning.
Is laughing gas prohibited?
At the moment, the substance does not belong to prohibited products and remains on sale. However, toxicologists and experts in the field of combating drug addiction note that the distribution of laughing gas must be prohibited. Nitrous oxide has recently been classified as a psychotropic substance with a strong effect and a health hazard.
Currently, the championship among the population who have become addicted to laughing gas is held by young people aged 16-25. Often, addiction occurs in people who regularly attend private parties in clubs that use laughing gas cylinders. Against this background, massive substance abuse develops. This poses a threat, since it is difficult for young people to refuse the next dose of the substance.
Signs of a Laughing Gas Addiction
An irresistible craving for the use of laughing gas can occur after just a few doses. With the development of substance abuse in humans, the following symptoms may occur:
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Fainting conditions.
Unwillingness to refuse the use of laughing gas in the presence of the above signs leads to a deterioration in well-being. In such cases, other negative symptoms may occur. We are talking about hearing loss, vision. Sometimes there may be distracted attention, memory loss, nervousness, and speech disorders.
Initially, a person dependent on laughing gas manages to hide this fact from others. However, as substance abuse develops, the problem becomes more pronounced. Addiction to the substance makes addicts gather in groups, leave home.
The likely consequences of addiction
Regular use of the substance can lead to the development of a sustainable addiction. What is fraught with dependence on laughing gas? It is worth noting the following:
- The body begins to suffer from oxygen deficiency. Against this background, hypoxia may develop. The condition often causes hallucinations, other changes in the perception of reality.
- If laughing gas is used regularly, chronic hypoxia can occur. The body of the drug addict becomes more susceptible to the causative agents of infectious ailments.
- The nervous system suffers, in particular, inadequacy in behavior is manifested. A person begins to experience serious feelings even from the most minor pain. This makes you want to take another dose of laughing gas.
Finally
Laughing gas, which is distributed in balloons and balloons, is increasingly touted as an excellent means to create a good mood when organizing parties. Indeed, when consuming properly prepared substance in moderation, the body is not harmed. But if it is difficult for a person to refuse the next dose, this often leads to the formation of substance abuse. Experts are increasingly saying the need for a ban on the use of laughing gas. However, at the moment, the substance continues to spread without obstacles in public places.