WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
You cannot see, taste, or smell carbon monoxide gas, yet
prolonged exposure to it can be deadly. Carbon monoxide can
build up without warning in closed spaces like your house, car,
tent, camper, or garage, and may be present at indoor
automobile events like a tractor pull.
Causes
Carbon monoxide is produced by
kerosene heaters, broken furnaces, auto engines, and gas
fireplaces. It can also come from charcoal, Sterno, wood, or
coal stoves, and is found in smoke from any kind of fire. It
works its damage by preventing oxygen from moving from your
lungs into the red blood cells.
Signs/Symptoms
Symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning include headache, upset stomach, vomiting, chest
pain, and heart palpitations. You may feel confused, sleepy,
dizzy, or faint. You also could begin stumbling or slurring
your speech. Blurred vision, trouble breathing, and seizures
are also possible.
Care
Get into fresh air as soon as
possible. Call your local Poison Control Center, doctor, or
emergency department. The doctors there can tell you if you
need to see someone for special care. You may also need extra
oxygen and medicine to relieve your headache.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
If there is carbon monoxide in your home, do not go
back into the house until the source of the gas is
repaired. Air out the house before you go back in, no
matter how cold it is outside.
-
If your car is the source of carbon monoxide, have
the exhaust fixed immediately.
-
Have your gas company check your furnace every year
before you turn it on for the season. If it stays on all
the time, have it checked every year
anyway.
-
Before starting up a kerosene heater, gas fireplace,
or charcoal, wood, or coal stove, have it checked to make
sure it's working properly. When using a heater or stove,
be sure to keep a window slightly open to let fresh air
in.
-
Do not allow your children to ride in the back of a
pickup truck that has a cover (cap) over the truck bed.
Carbon monoxide can build up to deadly levels under these
caps.
-
Buy several carbon monoxide detectors and install
them in your home.
Seek Care Immediately If...
-
You think you're developing symptoms of carbon
monoxide poisoning.
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