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Laughing Gas
How Laughing Gas or Nitrous Oxide Works
What
laughing gas does in the body
Laughing gas or nitrous oxide
is used in the dentist's office to reduce patient anxiety and relieve pain.
It's also a common
recreational drug.
Have you ever wondered how
laughing gas works?
Here's a look at how laughing
gas reacts in the body and whether it's safe or not.
What Is Laughing Gas?
Laughing
gas is the common name for nitrous oxide or N2O.
It is also known as nitrous,
nitro, or NOS.
It's a nonflammable,
colorless gas that has a slightly sweet flavor and odor.
In
addition to its use in rockets and to boost engine performance for motor
racing, laughing gas has several medical applications.
It
has been used in dentistry and surgery as an analgesic and anesthetic since
1844 when dentist Dr. Horace Wells used it on himself during a tooth
extraction.
Since
that time, its use has become commonplace in medicine, plus the euphoric effect
of inhaling the gas has led to use as a recreation drug.
How Laughing Gas Works
Although
the gas has been used for a long time, the exact mechanism of its action in the
body is incompletely understood, in part because the various effects depend
upon different reactions.
In general, nitrous oxide
moderates several ligand-gated ion channels.
Specifically, the mechanisms
for the effects are:
·
Anxiolytic or Anti-Anxiety Effect
Studies indicate the anti-anxiety effect from inhalation of laughing gas derives from increased activity of GABAA receptors. The GABAA receptor acts as the central nervous system's principal inhibitory neurotransmitter
Studies indicate the anti-anxiety effect from inhalation of laughing gas derives from increased activity of GABAA receptors. The GABAA receptor acts as the central nervous system's principal inhibitory neurotransmitter
·
Painkiller or Analgesic Effect
Laughing
gas reduces the perception of pain by facilitating an interaction between the
descending noradrenergic system and the endogenous opioid system. Nitrous oxide
causes the release of endogenous opioids, but how this happens is unknown.
·
Euphoria Effect
Nitrous
produces euphoria by causing dopamine to be released, which stimulates the
mesolimbic reward pathway in the brain. This contributes to the analgesic
effect, too.
Is Nitrous Oxide Safe?
When
you get laughing gas at the dentist's or doctor's office, it's very safe.
A mask is used to first
administer pure oxygen and then a mixture of oxygen and laughing gas.
The effects on vision,
hearing, manual dexterity and mental performance are temporary.
Nitrous oxide has both
neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects, but limited exposure to the chemical
tends not to cause a permanent effect, one way or the other.
The primary risks from
laughing gas are from inhaling a compressed gas directly from its canister,
which could cause severe lung damage or death.
Without supplemental oxygen,
inhaling nitrous oxide can cause hypoxia or oxygen deprivation effects,
including lightheadedness, fainting,low blood pressure, and potentially a
heart attack.
These risks are comparable to
those of inhaling helium gas..
Prolonged or repeated
exposure to laughing gas can lead to a vitamin B deficiency, reproductive
problems in pregnant women, and numbness.
Because very little nitrous
oxide is absorbed by the body, a person inhaling laughing gas breathes out most
of it.
This can lead to risks to
medical personnel who routinely use the gas in their practice.
Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D., is an author and consultant with a broad scientific and medical background.
Experience
Anne has taught chemistry, biology, and physics
at the high school, college, and graduate level. In her doctoral work, Anne
developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests. She
has worked abstracting/indexing diverse scientific literature for the
Department of Energy. She presently works as a freelance writer and scientific
consultant. She enjoys adapting lab-based science projects so that they can be
performed safely at home.
Education
Dr. Helmenstine has bachelor of arts degrees in
physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hastings College in
Nebraska and a doctorate of philosophy in biomedical sciences from the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry is part of everyone's life, from
cooking and cleaning to the latest computer chip technology and vaccine
development. It doesn't have to be intimidating and it doesn't have to be hard
to understand.
You can read more about Anne's current and past
work on her Google Profile: Anne Helmenstine. Find Anne's printable periodic
tables and science projects at Science Notes.
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