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[Neonivek]

As the topic says... is it true that Helium can cause your lungs to bleed?

[Wiles]

Breathing in helium from a pressurized tank is dangerous, you can rupture a lung.

Helium on it's own? I have no idea - I've never heard anything about it.

[Hawkfrost]

I have heard of this before, but I don't know if it is true or not.

[Kogan Loloklam]

It's the air pressure, not the gas, that is dangerous for lung damage.

The gas is bad in it's own, because it has no oxygen in it, but besides the danger of "drowning" in helium, there isn't any real danger. It's just as bad to breathe CO2 or any other of a large collection of other bad gases that are found naturally in our atmosphere, but they don't actually damage the lungs directly.

[Idiom]

I don't think you should even have to ask as the general rule of thumb is if you don't do it naturally, it will probably injure you.

[penguinofhonor]

Yeah, I don't think it's possible for helium to make your lungs bleed. It could take up space and not let you have oxygen, but that's really it. It's a noble gas (doesn't react with anything) so it couldn't do much.

Carbon monoxide, on the other hand, loves the iron in your blood more than oxygen does and sticks to your red blood cells, making them useless. Enough of that and you die even if you get oxygen.

[Neonivek]

Thank you for your prompt answers

[Jude]

Answer pending while I ask my friend who's a nursing major and my definitive source for all body-related questions. 2/3 of the time she knows extensively about the topic, the other 1/3 she makes up some preposterous bullshit and I don't know the difference.

[chaoticag]

Penguin of honor is right, Noble gases do not react so no danger unless you do it from the tank.
Learned that right from chemistry class.

[Neonivek]

Well we always knew that Helium was a Noble gas, so if it does cause lung bleeding... Which right now it seems to just be from the tank... it would be because of its physical propertise or how the lungs react to it (or lack there of).

[Anfold]

Helium =/= bleeding lungs unless there is a sudden change in pressure.  It can make O2 more difficult to absorb/easier to release due to the function of osmotic action across a semipermeable membrane.  It has been suggested to use helium prevent the oxygen poisoning that occurs at very high pressures due to the fact that it is so nonreactive and common.

Quick, what is the most (atomically) stable element on the universe?  I'll give you a hint, its not hydrogen.

[Cthulhu]

Neon?

Or Helium, one of the noble gases.

[Jreengus]

One of the noble gasses, about halfway down is my guess.

[Zako]

Neon.

And I dont think that it causes bleeding, it just sits there not reacting.

[Anfold]

Nope, its not a gas.

Hint 2: It is the end result of stellar fusion.  In 99% of stars, fusion ends here.

If no one gets it, the third hint will pretty much be a give away