Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Introduction
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. But the danger it poses is real. Carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in your blood — and the consequences can be fatal.
Carbon monoxide is produced by appliances and other devices that burn gas, petroleum products, wood and other fuels. Sometimes carbon monoxide can accumulate to dangerous levels in your car, home or other poorly ventilated areas.
The signs of carbon monoxide poisoning can be subtle. Thankfully, simple precautions can save your life.
Signs and symptoms
A dull headache is the most common early symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning. Other signs and symptoms may include:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Impaired judgment
- Loss of consciousness
Causes
Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by inhaling carbon monoxide fumes. When there's too much carbon monoxide in the air, your body will replace the oxygen in the hemoglobin of your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. This keeps life-sustaining oxygen from reaching your tissues and organs.
Various appliances fueled by wood or gas produce carbon monoxide, including:
- Fuel-burning space heaters
- Furnaces
- Charcoal grills
- Cooking ranges
- Water heaters
- Fireplaces
- Portable generators, including those often used on houseboats
- Wood-burning stoves
- Car and truck engines
Complications
Carbon monoxide poisoning is dangerous. Depending on the degree and length of exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause permanent brain damage. Carbon monoxide poisoning can damage the heart as well, possibly leading to life-threatening cardiac complications years after the poisoning. In other cases, carbon monoxide poisoning is fatal.
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to replace the carbon monoxide in your blood with oxygen. In the hospital, you may breathe pure oxygen through a mask placed over your nose and mouth. This helps oxygen reach your organs and tissues. If you can't breathe on your own, a machine (ventilator) may do the breathing for you.
In some cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended. With this therapy, you're placed in a full-body pressurized chamber. Inside the chamber, air pressure is more than twice as high as normal atmospheric pressure. This speeds the removal of carbon monoxide from your blood.
If you were poisoned in your home, it's important to find and repair the source of the carbon monoxide before you return. Your local fire department or utility company can help.
Prevention
Simple precautions can help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Consider these do's and don'ts:
- Invest in carbon monoxide detectors. Install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor or level of your home. Install additional detectors outside individual bedrooms. Check the batteries every time you check your smoke detector batteries — at least twice a year. If the alarm sounds, leave the house and call the fire department or local utility company from a nearby phone.
- Open the garage door before starting your car. Never run your car in a closed garage. If you have an attached garage, keep the garage door open and the door to the house firmly closed while the car is running. Remove snow or other debris from the tailpipe before using the car.
- Use gas appliances as recommended. Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. Use portable gas camp stoves only outdoors. Use fuel-burning space heaters only when someone is awake to monitor them and doors or windows are open to provide fresh air. Don't run a generator in an enclosed space, such as the basement or garage.
- Keep your gas appliances and fireplace in good repair. Make sure your appliances are properly vented. Clean your fireplace chimney and flue every year. Ask your utility company about yearly checkups for any gas appliances.
Informations obtained from National Institute of Health.