Triggering: Thumb-blow game? (fainting game)

[RattleSnake]

Hey guys, can someone give me some info on this?

The thumb-blow game is a fainting game where you squat down in the frog position and rapidly take breaths for about 20 seconds and you stand up, put your thumb in your mouth and breath out as hard as possible, without letting air out.

The idea is that you faint and black out for a few seconds but the seconds feel like hours to you.

Please guys, I did not come here for answers like "DONT DO IT ITS SO BAD NEVER TRY IT", I just want a simple answer about what really happens and what can happen if you do play this game...

Thanks.

[escape_thereal_world]

I don't know if this actually works, but it is dangerous. If it does work by doing that then you are fainting because you are blocking oxygen from getting to your brain. You're making yourself hyperventilate in a position that already causes you to breathe less, then standing up rapidly on top of that is really putting stress on your lungs and brain.

You could go into an asthma attack if you have asthma, or you could even deprive your brain of too much oxygen which could result in several unpleasant incidences. I would not suggest doing this.

You are causing brain cells to die, which can lead to permanent loss of brain function which could mean you lose concentration or loss of short term memory. You could also die doing this.

So, is a game really worth dying over? Probably not.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

This is my first time hearing of the thumb-blow game and I'll take your word that it works. Physiologically, taking deep breaths results in lower oxygen pressure (pO2) and higher carbon dioxide pressure (pCO2) in your lungs. When you hold your breath, this pressure difference increases. When you suddenly stand, you would have an episode of postural hypotension, which in simpler terms means a sudden decrease in blood pressure due to sudden difference in height. Combining the drastically reduced pO2, increased pCO2 and hypotension, you're brewing a recipe to faint. Blowing extremely hard while plugging your mouth further increases the pO2-pCO2 pressure difference. When you feel time is slower, it's a sign you're likely about to faint because you're depriving your body of oxygen so it allocates resources to the most crucial parts, such as the brain. Unfortunately, it cannot compensate in time so you faint.

Once you wake up, there probably would be little to no damage if you do it once or twice (assuming you don't whack your head, neck or back hard when you fall). If you keep doing it enough times or repeat cycles of faint-wake up-faint-wake up for however long, you increase the chance of damage. For the brain, one of the places that could be hit hard are the Cornu Ammonis (CA) pyramidial neuron networks in the hippocampus proper and hippocampal formation, as they're highly sensitive to damage of any sort. The longer you deprive your brain of oxygen, the more widespread the damage will be. I say "damage" because you could regain function or it could be permanent. If you know anything of neuroplasticity, you'd know there are no other neurons in your nervous system that could compensate for damaged/destroyed CA neuron networks.

If you fall from standing, you could break any number of bones.

[Briana]

There was that other 'game' floating around a few years ago, that is similar, and people have actually died from it. Fainting/blacking out is never good and very dangerous.

[Ella.x]

My friend did this, fainted, fell backwards into a wall, knocked himself unconscious and ended up with a concussion.
I wouldn't reccomend it.

[Cosmo]

This hit my school last year, almost everyone I knew was doing it. People were doing it in the middle of class, in the corridors, in the common rooms.. I kept telling them it was stupidly dangerous but they did it anyway. It absolutely, 100% worked and although nobody suffered permanent injury it's still risky.

[JKmadu619]

Well, fainting and probably hitting your head on the way down are very, very dangerous.

Google 'Chris Beniot" for a very gruesome story regarding the longterm effects of multiple concussions and being knocked unconcious. Look for the nearest real news site under the google search.

- Justin

[LittleMiss]

Any kind of oxygen deprivation that leads to loss of consciousness is not good for your health. It means your bairn doesn't have enough oxygen to work and that should be avoided rather than sought after.