Carbon Monoxide [CO]: The Silent Killer
Carbon Monoxide [CO]—often referred to as the “silent killer”—is a colorless and odorless gas produced by burning fuels such as coal, wood, charcoal, gas, natural gas, propane, and kerosene.
Cars, lawnmowers, portable generators, space heaters, chain saws, and other everyday products powered by internal combustion engines also create CO. Properly installed and maintained heating and cooking appliances produce very little CO. Unfortunately, fatal CO concentrations can result from improperly operating appliances in your home.
When we breathe air in, CO is absorbed into the bloodstream, displacing oxygen needed to maintain vital organs. It can even cause permanent brain damage or death.
Certain people—particularly the elderly, pregnant women, developing fetuses, young children, and individuals suffering from congestive heart failure and other breathing difficulties—are at particular risk.
The Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that 1,500 Americans die from accidental exposure to CO and reports confirm more than 10,000 injuries every year. Although most happen during a one-time sudden event, chronic low levels of CO poisoning can also build up over time from a faulty oil-burning furnace.
Most deaths and illnesses caused by CO poisoning are entirely preventable.
What Are The Symptoms?
Many cases of CO poisoning are misdiagnosed. Often symptoms can mimic the flu [but without the fever], especially in low-to-moderate cases. High levels of CO poisoning result in more progressively severe symptoms including death.
Low-to-Moderate Symptoms
Headache
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Dizziness
Severe Symptoms
Mental confusion
Vomiting
Loss of muscular coordination
Loss of consciousness
Death
If you think you are experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning, leave the area immediately! Call for help from outside or a neighbor's house. Be sure to let EMS staff know that it might be a case of CO poisoning.
How Can I Protect Myself And My Family?
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Install and operate appliances according to the manufacturer’s instructions and local building codes, preferably by qualified professionals.
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Have your heating system professionally inspected and serviced annually to ensure proper operation. The inspector should also check chimneys and flues for blockages, corrosion, partial and complete disconnections, and loose connections.
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Never operate a portable generator or any other gasoline engine-powered tool in or near an enclosed space such as a garage, house, or other building. Even with open doors and windows, these spaces can trap CO and quickly build to lethal levels.
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Never use portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle, or tent unless specifically designed for use in an enclosed space and provides instructions for safe use in a contained area.
-- Put a CO alarm in the hallway near every separate sleeping area of the home.
-- Do not cover the alarm with furniture or draperies.
-- Unless you have a battery backup in your CO alarm, remember it will not function in a power outage.
Please Stay SAFE AND WARM This Winter!