Hey now. I have access to pure oxygen and that stuff is legit. Breathing that for even a few seconds can make you feel really good. I don't drink, but I've heard it really helps with hangovers. I do know it helps you feel more energized and alert.
Any negative draw backs?
Don't smoke around it.
Now what would happen if you breathed 100 percent oxygen? In guinea pigs exposed to 100 percent oxygen at normal air pressure for 48 hours, fluid accumulates in the lungs and the epithelial cells lining the alveoli. In addition, the pulmonary capillaries get damaged. A highly reactive form of the oxygen molecule, called the oxygen free radical, which destroys proteins and membranes in the epithelial cells, probably causes this damage. In humans breathing 100 percent oxygen at normal pressure, here's what happens:
- Fluid accumulates in the lungs.
- Gas flow across the alveoli slows down, meaning that the person has to breathe more to get enough oxygen.
- Chest pains occur during deep breathing.
- The total volume of exchangeable air in the lung decreases by 17 percent.
- Mucus plugs local areas of collapsed alveoli -- a condition called atelectasis. The oxygen trapped in the plugged alveoli gets absorbed into the blood, no gas is left to keep the plugged alveoli inflated, and they collapse. Mucus plugs are normal, but they are cleared by coughing. If alveoli become plugged while breathing air, the nitrogen trapped in the alveoli keeps them inflated.
The astronauts in the Gemini and Apollo programs breathed 100 percent oxygen at reduced pressure for up to two weeks with no problems. In contrast, when 100 percent oxygen is breathed under high pressure (more than four times that of atmospheric pressure), acute oxygen poisoning can occur with these symptoms:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Muscle twitches
- Blurred vision
- Seizures/convulsions
Such high oxygen pressures can be experienced by military SCUBA divers using rebreathing devices, divers being treated for the bends in hyperbaric chambers or patients being treated for acute carbon monoxide poisoning. These patients must be carefully monitored during treatment.
When I did it, it was from a 500 CCM fixed-flow regulator, a good 6 inches away from my face. The actual O2 concentration I'm breathing isn't nearly as high as it comes from the tank. Only used it to help with hangovers, it's no longer useful to me in that way.
What you're describing is known as oxygen toxicity.
100% oxygen can be tolerated at sea level for about 24–48 hours without any serious tissue damage. Longer exposures produce definite tissue injury. Oxygen at 2 ATA produces characteristic pulmonary signs and symptoms beginning with mild carinal irritation on deep inspiration 3–6 hours into the exposure, intense carinal irritation an uncontrolled cough after about 10 hours and finally chest pain and dyspnoea. Symptoms subside 4 hours after cessation of exposure in majority of patients
That doesn't mean I recommend breathing pure O2 for 23 hours. But a few minutes will not hurt you.
(post is archived)