Recently, the news that a 25-year-old female student returned to China for treatment in a wheelchair was screened in a circle of friends because she smoked a lot of laughing gas. The girl wrote her own experience as an article "I was finally pushed out of the Capital International Airport in a wheelchair", revealing the whole process of her fall.

The Guardian extracted part of the article. After reading this self-report, it was really creepy. She took "laughing gas" and turned her from a fancy female college student into a "no dignity".

The same tragedy happened to the girl and her two friends. One of them, an 18-year-old boy, was diagnosed as lifelong paralysis by a doctor because he was addicted to laughing gas, and he had completely lost his self-care ability.

There are many similar news stories, and beijing ditan hospital has also encountered a case of such a patient.

Not long ago, a 35-year-old male patient was admitted to the Department of Neurology of beijing ditan hospital. The man said that his legs were numb and wooden, and he had no strength at all. The doctor did see him walking unsteadily.

The patient said that it has been "like this for half a year, and it's hard to shit and pee these days". The doctor asked about his medical history and his living habits. The man said, I can't live without alcohol every day, as long as I keep my eyes open and drink for 12 hours. But, is this all caused by drinking?

The doctors in the ward discussed this case. From the examination results and medical records brought by the patient, he found that his serum syphilis antibody was positive six months ago, and he had hallucinations five months ago, and he always suspected that others would harm him.

what is the cause of these symptoms? Neurosyphilis, spinal tuberculosis? Chronic alcoholism? Subacute combined degeneration? Like, but not like.

The doctor in charge, Koucheng, continued to ask about the medical history and found the crux of the problem. It turns out that the patient started smoking "laughing gas" nine months ago, reaching 71-151 balloons a day. The answer is, it turned out that it was all caused by "laughing gas".

so what is nitrous oxide? What effect does smoking "laughing gas" have on human body?

Q: what is "laughing gas"?

nitrous oxide, with the chemical formula N2O, is colorless and sweet. It is an oxidant, stable at room temperature, has a slight anesthetic effect, and even makes people hallucinate.

Q: what is the original purpose of "laughing gas"?

N2O was first discovered by British chemist Joseph Priestley in p>1793. In 17991, Humphrey Davy, a British chemist, found that inhaling this gas can make people lose pain, feel euphoric and make people laugh, hence the name "laughing gas".

In medicine, "nitrous oxide" is used as a vaporized anesthetic, which is relatively safe for human body because of its small dosage during anesthesia.

Q: what harm will long-term inhalation of nitrous oxide do to human body?

Many people think that "nitrous oxide" has no side effects, unlike other drugs that leave needle holes and cross-infection, but if inhaled for a long time, it will damage the human nervous system.

First, it damages the central nervous system. "Laughter" can make people feel euphoric, and they want to take it again when they are unhappy, so they are addicted.

Second, the peripheral nervous system is depleted. People's nerves have a membrane called "myelin sheath". If the nerve is compared to a wire, the insulating membrane on the wire is nerve myelin sheath, which plays a role in protecting the wire. Inhaling nitrous oxide for a long time will cause the myelin sheath of nerve to fall off, and the nerve will be exposed to the tissue, which will make the human body feel numb, weak and over-electrified. With the longer the smoking time, the myelin sheath will be damaged more and more, and finally the fate of waiting for the smoker will be paralyzed.

Q: how to treat "nitrous oxide" poisoning?

Stop contact with nitrous oxide, use neuroprotective agents and drugs to increase myelin regeneration. It should be noted that nitrous oxide poisoning can be treated in the early stage, and if the damage is serious, the impact is irreversible.

In the media reports, Guardian Jun found that it is not difficult to get "laughing gas":

In daily life, "laughing gas" is often used to make DIY cake decoration, fancy coffee and molecular food. At the same time, on the packaging boxes of various laughing gas bombs sold online, it is clearly marked that it is a food processing aid for whipped cream foaming and "not directly edible". -"Beijing Youth Daily"

What is terrible is that this inedible "laughing gas" was blown into a balloon and then sucked by many young people seeking excitement. In many nightclubs, bars and even universities at home and abroad, this kind of behavior of "blowing balloons" and "hey balloons" is quietly rising. What is even more frightening is that "laughing gas" has not been officially listed in the drug list in China and the United States.

In the face of such hidden dangers, Guardian Jun reminds everyone, especially parents and children, to stay away from "laughing gas" and beware of "joy begets sorrow".

source: ditan hospital comprehensive finishing press release.