this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
942 points (100.0% liked)
196
16453 readers
1830 users here now
Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.
Rule: You must post before you leave.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
You're thinking of CO, increased CO2 in the blood (which when dissolved becomes CO3+) causes increased anxiety and too much triggers suffocation panic. That's why you can breathe in basically any other gas and just shut down calmly, but CO2 will have you scrambling.
That's because the human body does not have a system to detect how much oxygen is in the blood, it only detects how much carbon dioxide is in the blood. When you hold your breath and feel the need to breath it is not caused by a lack of oxygen, but from a buildup of CO2.
That is why odorless gases are so dangerous. If there's no oxygen in the gas you are breathing but also no CO2 the body thinks "this is fine" until you pass out.