Mixture of 60 percent helium and 40 percent oxygen, when inhaled by the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, provides comfort in the breathing during physical treatment, according to the trials conducted in the Canada.

“The common conditions that can be included in the COPD are exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The high concentrated gaseous mixture of gases provide certain benefits such as helium being the lightest gas move easily in the air passage and high concentration of the oxygen reduce the condition of breathlessness,” Dr. Neil D. Eves at the University of Calgary explained in the journal.

In a controlled randomizes study, researchers assigned the 38 patients of COPD to use mixtures of oxygen and helium during rehabilitation. The exercise lasts for one and a half hour three days in the week for the duration of six weeks.

Researchers founded that the, group which was inhaling oxygen-helium mixture attain the intense workout level and longer duration without any difficulty whereas normal air breathing group was unable to cope with the training program.

Researcher with this study founded that helium- oxygen user face less discomfort due to chest congestion and a lower breathing rate.

After the completion of six weeks, patients of oxygen-helium group showed a greater improvement and endurance in the duration of exercise. The average value of oxygen-helium and air breathing group was 9. and 4.4 minutes respectively. Additionally oxygen-helium group exhibited the greater changes in the health quality and researchers stated this improvement as clinically meaningful.