Health Why would I get a sore throat from nitrous balloons?

[Mycophile]

So, I don't use nitrous all that often, and when I do I always use balloons. I was using a tank for the first time (common brand...) but I wore out the lining on the nozzle you turn it with and had to go back to my dispenser. I've noticed in the past that nitrous can give me a sore throat, but this time it's a bit worse than in the past and lasting longer. It's also annoying cause I like to vape weed at night, but I know that this is irritating it (smoking would be even worse, but edibles are an option.)

I'm just wondering exactly why nitrous balloons could cause me to get a sore throat? Is it because the gas is cold? But I'm using a balloon so wouldn't that sufficiently warm it? And I'm also surprised that vaping would really irritate my throat that much that the combination would leave me waking up with a sore throat and a hoarse voice.

So, yeah, I just wanted to know why I'm getting a sore throat and is the only advice to avoid nitrous and vaping till it gets better? Cause I haven't used nitrous in days now but I do vape at night and it's really annoying not being able to. Do I just have no other choice but to avoid both vaping (and smoking obviously) and nitrous till it gets better?

 

[neversickanymore]

Depending on how much you use.. two possibilities are that your inhaling before the gas warms up enough or the dryness of the gas is irritating your throat. You certainly need to let the gas in the balloon warm up.. obviously as it warms it will expand and may cause the balloon to explode. You could also try switching balloons because possibly something associated with their manufacture or processing may be the irritant.

It could have nothing to do with either and may be an infection like strep.

Could be something associated with the vape? This seems like low hanging fruit.. id really look at this.

 

[Mycophile]

Depending on how much you use.. two possibilities are that your inhaling before the gas warms up enough or the dryness of the gas is irritating your throat. You certainly need to let the gas in the balloon warm up.. obviously as it warms it will expand and may cause the balloon to explode. You could also try switching balloons because possibly something associated with their manufacture or processing may be the irritant.

It could have nothing to do with either and may be an infection like strep. Could be something associated with the vape?

Well I REALLY hope it's not strep or anything not associated with either nitrous or weed. I really tend to doubt it because the first day I woke up with it hurting (only like a few days ago) it was after a night of nitrous and weed and I just think those are the obvious culprits.

While I think that the vaporizer and the little bit of smoking I've been doing have likely irritated my throat, I really feel like the primary cause was probably the nitrous. I can't think of anything about the vaporizer I'm using that would make it likely to cause a sore throat, and it never did cause one from months of using it without the nitrous being involved.

When you said "switching balloons" did you mean to a different brand of punch balloons? Cause I haven't just been using one single balloon out of all the ones that I have.

Your responses are making me thinking that this isn't a common reaction from using nitrous. Am I reading you incorrectly? Cause this isn't the first time this has happened, but it hasn't happened for years (but I only use nitrous a couple times a year), and I'm hoping that this is just a common side effect so I can blow it off as that. Although I'd rather not have to take a break from vaping, but I probably should considering I'm still waking up with a sore throat after vaping and I haven't used the nitrous in a few days.

Also, if it's the dryness of the gas doing it, can anything be done about that? And if it's just needing more time for the gas to warm then I don't know how much longer I could really give it cause then I've got a massive balloon which yes, does sometimes pop.

 

[neversickanymore]

Well I REALLY hope it's not strep or anything not associated with either nitrous or weed. I really tend to doubt it because the first day I woke up with it hurting (only like a few days ago) it was after a night of nitrous and weed and I just think those are the obvious culprits.

While I think that the vaporizer and the little bit of smoking I've been doing have likely irritated my throat, I really feel like the primary cause was probably the nitrous. I can't think of anything about the vaporizer I'm using that would make it likely to cause a sore throat, and it never did cause one from months of using it without the nitrous being involved.

When you said "switching balloons" did you mean to a different brand of punch balloons? Cause I haven't just been using one single balloon out of all the ones that I have.

Your responses are making me thinking that this isn't a common reaction from using nitrous. Am I reading you incorrectly? Cause this isn't the first time this has happened, but it hasn't happened for years (but I only use nitrous a couple times a year), and I'm hoping that this is just a common side effect so I can blow it off as that. Although I'd rather not have to take a break from vaping, but I probably should considering I'm still waking up with a sore throat after vaping and I haven't used the nitrous in a few days.

Also, if it's the dryness of the gas doing it, can anything be done about that? And if it's just needing more time for the gas to warm then I don't know how much longer I could really give it cause then I've got a massive balloon which yes, does sometimes pop.

So let's look at this

We have the probable causes. More possible causes, but let's just look at the probable first.

Looking at a possible strep infection or other bacterial infection... do you have any of the other symptoms commonly experienced with bacterial infections.. are you fatigued, do you have an elevated temperature etc etc? Symptoms of a bacterial infection very greatly depending on the location and type of pathogen, but the lack of reported symptoms does not scream infection. Some infections follow this though. How do your lymph nodes feel especially the ones in your neck.. are they swollen?

https://cdn.britannica.com/72/123972-004-AC2097E2/system-head-neck.jpg

Since you have very limited exposure to the NO but are experiencing the discomfort commonly associated with the vaping.. as this is a common side effect of vaping, I would consider trying a new vape and or a new concentrate.. low hanging fruit you can easily swap to see if its the cause.

 

[Mycophile]

So let's look at this

We have the probable causes. More possible causes, but let's just look at the probable first.

Looking at a possible strep infection or other bacterial infection... do you have any of the other symptoms commonly experienced with bacterial infections.. are you fatigued, do you have an elevated temperature etc etc? Symptoms of a bacterial infection very greatly depending on the location and type of pathogen, but the lack of reported symptoms does not scream infection. Some infections follow this though. How do your lymph nodes feel especially the ones in your neck.. are they swollen?

https://cdn.britannica.com/72/123972-004-AC2097E2/system-head-neck.jpg

Since you have very limited exposure to the NO but are experiencing the discomfort commonly associated with the vaping.. as this is a common side effect of vaping, I would consider trying a new vape and or a new concentrate.. low hanging fruit you can easily swap to see if its the cause.

I'm a bit confused by that picture. Which are the nodes I should or shouldn't be feeling the soreness in?

I have no symptoms other than the sore throat and the resulting hoarse voice, and both are at their worst when I first wake up each day, with the soreness and hoarseness gradually dissipating throughout the day. I also recently purchased some honey throat spray called "cough shield" which helps line the throat so you cough less, and I find that helps sooth my throat a bit.

As far as vapes, I already JUST the other day purchased a 2nd vaporizer, but I haven't used it that much yet. But I'm not considering a 3rd right now because both of these work well and I just spent that money and there's just no need.

I also never experienced any next-day soreness from vaping till after I was using nitrous, so I feel like it's not an issue that I think would likely continue once my sore throat goes away. I mean the very fact that swallowing isn't painful and that the throat gets better throughout the day MEANS TO ME that it's not a big deal, but it's still annoying.

I hope it just goes away on its own.

So, do you think the lack of other symptoms means it's less likely to be any kind of strep or infection?

 

[Skorpio]

I have seen a fair few examples of nitrous use (especially a solid session) causing sore throats.

Utterly spitballing here, but it could even be a direct action of the gas and its breakdown into nitric oxide messing with the inflammatory tone of the throat tissue. Nitrous is fat soluble enough to get into cell membranes which is responsible for both its effects and sweet taste.

Strep throat often is accompanied by a particular bacteria note on the breath. I find common lab strains of E. coli used for cloning always have a “sick breath” smell to them once a plate is covered in cultures.

 

[Mycophile]

I have seen a fair few examples of nitrous use (especially a solid session) causing sore throats.

Utterly spitballing here, but it could even be a direct action of the gas and its breakdown into nitric oxide messing with the inflammatory tone of the throat tissue. Nitrous is fat soluble enough to get into cell membranes which is responsible for both its effects and sweet taste.

Strep throat often is accompanied by a particular bacteria note on the breath. I find common lab strains of E. coli used for cloning always have a “sick breath” smell to them once a plate is covered in cultures.

Ok, that's good to know that it's common because that makes me think that's what it is. And it's happened before too. I haven't noticed my breath smelling worse than usual either, so that's good.

Does it make sense that vaping would irritate a throat already irritated by nitrous use? I mean, it makes sense to me, but normally my vaporizer doesn't give me a sore throat so I just wanted to see if that vibed with what anyone else was thinking.

 

[Skorpio]

Ok, that's good to know that it's common because that makes me think that's what it is. And it's happened before too. I haven't noticed my breath smelling worse than usual either, so that's good.

Does it make sense that vaping would irritate a throat already irritated by nitrous use? I mean, it makes sense to me, but normally my vaporizer doesn't give me a sore throat so I just wanted to see if that vibed with what anyone else was thinking.

Yeah, I personally find vaporizers to be pretty irritating. I’d take it easy on the throat and do edibles for a bit to let things go without any insult for a bit.