BreathingBreathing (respiring or ventilating) is the rhythmic process of inhaling air into the lungs providing oxygen, and exhaling the air removing carbon dioxide, in the gas exchange process. All aerobic organisms require oxygen for cellular respiration, which extracts energy from food and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product.
Nitrous oxideColourless non-flammable greenhouse gas), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), or generic nitrogen oxide pollutants NOx.Chemical compoundNitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas or nitrous, among others, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formulaN2O. At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammablegas, and has a slightly sweet scent and flavour.
Control of ventilationThe control of ventilation in higher vertebrates is the physiological process, and the set of related mechanisms, involved in the control of breathing, which is the movement of air into and out of the lungs. Ventilation facilitates respiration. Term respiration refers to the utilization of oxygen and balancing of carbon dioxide by the body as a whole, or by individual cells (in the case of cellular respiration).
Recreational use of nitrous oxideNitrous oxide (N2O), commonly referred to as laughing gas, along with various street names, is an inert gas which can induce euphoria, dissociation, hallucinogenic states of mind, and relaxation when inhaled. Nitrous oxide has no acute biochemical or cellular toxicity and is not metabolized in humans or other mammals. Rare deaths and injuries associated with use are due to asphyxia or accidents related to alcohol, or vitamin B12 deficiency.
InhalantChemical, often household, breathed in to cause intoxicationMedical conditionInhalants are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases can be concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce intoxication, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer.
HeliumHelium (from Ancient Greek: ἥλιος, romanized: helios, lit. 'sun') is a chemical element; it has symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is the lowest among all the elements, and it does not have a melting point at standard pressures. It is the second-lightest and second-most abundant element in the observable universe, after hydrogen.
Asphyxiant gasAn asphyxiant gas, also known as a simple asphyxiant, is a nontoxic or minimally toxic gas which reduces or displaces the normal oxygen concentration in breathing air. Breathing of oxygen-depleted air can lead to death by asphyxiation (suffocation). Because asphyxiant gases are relatively inert and odorless, their presence in high concentration may not be noticed, except in the case of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia).
Relaxation (psychology)In psychology, relaxation is the emotional state of low tension, in which there is an absence of arousal, particularly from negative sources such as anger, anxiety, or fear. Relaxation is a form of mild ecstasy coming from the frontal lobe of the brain in which the backward cortex sends signals to the frontal cortex via a mild sedative. Relaxation can be achieved through , autogenics, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and other means.
EuphoriaIntense feelings of well-beingEuphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and dancing, can induce a state of euphoria. Euphoria is also a symptom of certain neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mania.
AsthmaAsthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms and reduced lung function. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
HallucinogenHallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, or historically as psychotomimetics, are a broad and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can induce altered states of consciousness characterized by marked changes in perception, mood, cognition, and self-experience, along with a range of other psychological alterations.
Recreational drug useUse of drugs with the primary intention to alter the state of consciousnessThe Smokers, a 1636 portrait by Adriaen BrouwerDrinking Man and an Old Smoking Man, an 18th-century portrait by anonymous authorL'Absinthe, an 1876 portrait by Edgar DegasRecreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime.
inhalationRelated word or term.sniffingRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.