Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

If it does not kill you, you can still suffer permanent brain damage from overexposure to carbon monoxide fumes. Even if you do not lose consciousness at any point, you could still have sustained damage that could affect you for your entire life.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 2,244 people died from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning between the years of 2010 and 2015. In 2015, there were 393 deaths from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year, around 50,000 people in the United States must go to the emergency room because of it.

Carbon monoxide is most often released through portable generators, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, or burning charcoal and wood in enclosed spaces. This makes carbon monoxide poisoning especially likely to happen in the winter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 36% of the carbon monoxide deaths happen in December, January, and February.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen because of cars. Many cars create a lot of carbon monoxide when they are running. Specifically, you should never leave your car running in your garage with the garage door down. Even if the door is open, it can still have damaging effects. Whether you are waiting for it to heat up before heading outside or waiting for someone before leaving, turn off your car or pull outside. The fumes can build up without you noticing, and it can be deadly.

These fumes can also seep into your house, endangering everyone in your home, especially if you let the fumes build up for an extended period. You can even experience some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning when you are driving your car outside if there is any sort of carbon monoxide leak in your car.

The initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, and nausea. These happen when you are beginning to be affected by the fumes. They can be difficult to label as carbon monoxide poisoning because they can be caused by any number of things.

As the fumes begin to build up, the symptoms intensify. You may become confused or tired, experience vision problems, or have seizures. You could also begin breathing quickly, which would cause you to breathe in even more of the fumes. You could also develop a quickening heartbeat and experience chest pain.

All these symptoms can happen in other ways as well, and since carbon monoxide has no smell, taste, or color, it is extremely difficult to tell if it is affecting you. This increases the danger. It is recommended that you have your car checked periodically for any carbon monoxide leaks.

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