What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? Causes and Symptoms Explained

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious occurrence that can cause severe damage to your health and can even result in death.

It's most common in the winter months, as this is when we run devices that aren't properly ventilated.

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when there is too much CO in the air you're breathing, as your body will replace the oxygen in your blood cells with carbon monoxide, this stops oxygen from being able to get to your organs.

Luckily, this is preventable, we've listed what symptoms to look out for, the causes as well as how to prevent it.

What is carbon monoxide poisoning?

This is what occurs when you breathe in carbon monoxide fumes, or fumes that contain CO (carbon monoxide).

It's extremely dangerous in high levels. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that is produced when gasoline as well as other fuels burn. These fuels include wood, kerosene, natural gas, and coal.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

The most common symptoms are

• Nausea and vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Fainting (loss of consciousness)
• Mental confusion
• Blurred vision
• Respiratory failure

Some carbon monoxide symptoms such as headaches, nausea and dizziness can be confused with flu symptoms due to their similarities.

How common is carbon monoxide poisoning?

In the US, carbon monoxide poisoning causes "kills over 200 people and sends 20,000 people to emergency rooms".

The people who are at higher risk are those whose jobs include being exposed to carbon monoxide, these include:

• Firefighters
• Police officers
• Taxi drivers
• Garage mechanics

There are many professions, not listed above, where people are more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning too.

What are the common forms of carbon monoxide exposure?

One of the most common form of carbon monoxide exposure occurs through unvented space heaters. This is due to the fact that unvented space heaters use combustible fuel as well as indoor air for heating, and doesn't vent the gases it makes outdoors, but rather indoors.

Other common ways of CO exposure include:

• Faulty or broken cooking appliances
• Tobacco smoke
• Blocked chimneys
• Auto exhaust or idling vehicles
• Faulty water heater
• Malfunctioning gas clothes dryer

As you can't smell or taste it, the best way to prevent carbon monoxide exposures in the house is through purchasing a carbon monoxide detector or alarm. You can purchase these at any hardware or DIY stores.

Other ways to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning include regularly maintaining and checking on household devices.

Also, you can implementation to prevent CO exposures include using a gas-powered generator for electricity, having your furnace and fireplace regularly cleaned, and only using fuel-burning heaters in well and properly ventilated areas.