Alright folks, sitting down here after finishing my own little dive into this helium thing. Gotta be honest, saw folks online giggling like crazy after sucking it out of a balloon, and yeah, curiosity got me good. Wanted to see what the actual deal was myself, beyond just the chipmunk voice.
First thing I did was dig out one of those party balloons from the back of the junk drawer. You know, the leftover ones from that birthday ages ago. Felt kinda dumb holding this limp balloon, honestly. Pulled out my little handheld helium tank, the kind folks use for party stuff, attached the nozzle. Filled that balloon right up.
Okay, balloon full. Then came the moment – took a deep breath like you do, trying to clear your lungs, then pressed the balloon opening to my lips. Squeezed, just a bit. Felt the helium rush into my mouth. Held it in for just a second or two – didn’t wanna push it – and then let it out. Did it twice.
And the results? Honestly, a bit… meh? Yeah, the voice thing happened big time. Sounded like a freaking cartoon character, all squeaky and ridiculous. That part is undeniably funny, I cracked myself up hearing it back on my phone recording. But that whole ‘getting high’ thing people talk about? Didn’t feel a thing like that. Seriously.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny split second – like, the tiniest flicker – of feeling slightly lightheaded right after the first inhale. But it was over so fast I almost wondered if I imagined it. Zero euphoria. Zero buzz. No giggles beyond laughing at my own stupid voice. Mostly just felt… nothing much at all, except maybe a little foolish breathing gas out of a balloon. Kinda boring in that department.
But here’s the kicker, and why I bothered digging deeper later: that whole ‘harmless fun’ idea? Started seeming real shaky after I went poking around online later and found some pretty serious warnings. Stuff they absolutely do not tell you when you’re buying balloons at the party store:
- Basically suffocating yourself: Helium pushes the real air (oxygen!) out of your lungs. Your brain needs that O2 badly. Even a few seconds without it? Big trouble.
- Brain damage, real fast: Not getting oxygen, even briefly, messes with your head. Could be headaches, dizziness, or way worse – like passing out cold. Imagine passing out mid-suck? No good.
- Lung injury: Inhaling anything under pressure – like the gas shooting out of the tank nozzle directly, not the balloon – can actually burst your lung. Yeah, burst it. Like a tire popping. Hell no.
So where does that leave me? After breathing it myself and looking up what can go wrong? Definitely thinking it’s way smarter to just leave helium for the balloons to float. The squeaky voice is kinda funny, sure. But feeling it myself? Not high. Not worth the scary risks. You get a brief silly voice and a whole lotta potential danger. Seemed pretty pointless and kinda dumb after actually trying it and reading up. Better ways to have a laugh, for sure.