Increased levels of carbon monoxide in the blood, also known as carbon monoxide poisoning, happen when in the air is too much of this gas. Lack of oxygen causes the body to replace it in the red blood cells with carbon monoxide, which may lead to damage to the tissues and even death.
A gas that has no odor, taste, or color that usually appears after burning fuels, including wood, propane, gas, or charcoal, is called carbon monoxide. The buildup of carbon dioxide commonly occurs when engines or appliances are not well-vented.
Seek medical care immediately and get into fresh air if you are exposed to carbon monoxide. If you notice that a person is in a coma or does not respond, seek emergency care and or call 911 right away.
Symptoms
This harmful gas mostly affects the brain and heart. Over time, prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide may lead to some symptoms similar to the flu without fever. Check below for the most common carbon monoxide symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Drowsiness
- Blurred vision
- Loss of muscle control or consciousness
- Confusion
Sometimes, people may experience brain and nervous system symptoms after recovery from this poisoning. The risk of developing these symptoms increases in people who lost consciousness from carbon monoxide poisoning and older ones. These include memory loss, personality changes, and problems with movement.
Poisoning with carbon monoxide is especially dangerous for those who are drunk, drugged, or asleep because it may cause death before they realize the problem.
However, if you are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide, it is advised to get into fresh air and seek emergency care.
Causes
This gas comes from fuel-burning products and engines. In most cases, these sources do not cause concerns in regions with good airflow, but if engines or fuel-burning occurs in closed spaces, it may lead to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. For instance, if you are burning charcoal indoors or running a car in the garage with closed doors, it may lead to life-threatening carbon monoxide levels.
When this gas enters the body, it replaces and prevents the oxygen from getting to the tissues and organs. Furthermore, breathing the smoke from a fire also may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Additionally, an increased number of young people with carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by smoking hookahs.
Risk Factors
Physicians identified some factors that increase the risk of developing poisoning with carbon monoxide. Examples include:
- Unborn babies – It is important to know that the cells of an unborn baby take carbon monoxide more easily compared to adult ones.
- Infants and children take breaths more frequently than adults do. This makes them more likely to develop carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Older adults – Older people are more likely to get brain damage due to carbon monoxide poisoning than younger ones.
What Are The Possible Complications of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
People who get poisoned with carbon monoxide may experience some complications if they do not get into fresh air right away. These include:
- Damage to the brain and nervous system that does not heal
- Heart damage (sometimes, it may lead to life-threatening problems)
- Death
How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
The following tips may help reduce levels of carbon monoxide and avoid poisoning. For example:
- Carbon monoxide detectors – It is recommended to put these detectors near the sleeping area and check the batteries at least twice per year.
- Open doors before starting the car – If you are starting the car engine in a closed garage, it may lead to high carbon monoxide levels. Make sure you have opened the doors before starting the car.
- It is recommended to use appliances as intended only. For instance, you should not use a gas stove or oven for heat.
- Make sure that all gas appliances are vented properly.
- Use the chimney and flue to clean the fireplace at least once per year.
- Make sure that vents and chimneys are unblocked during remodeling.
- Repair the source of carbon monoxide poisoning before returning there.
Diagnosis
Mostly, the treatment begins right away when a person is brought to an emergency room with suspected poisoning of carbon monoxide. However, physicians may perform a blood test for carbon monoxide to confirm the condition and rule out other health problems that cause similar symptoms. Tests that confirm carbon monoxide poisoning should not delay the treatment. Otherwise, it may lead to life-threatening complications.
Treatment
It is advised to get into fresh air immediately, go to the nearest emergency room, or call 911 if you or someone else has carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. For example, shortness of breath, weakness, confusion, and dizziness. The treatment for people with poisoning from carbon monoxide usually includes the following procedures. For example:
- Breathing pure oxygen – During this procedure, a specific mask is placed over the nose and mouth and it helps breathe pure oxygen. When people are not able to breathe on their own, physicians may use a breathing machine (also called a ventilator).
- Oxygen chamber treatment – This treatment option is also called hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and it involves breathing pure oxygen in a specific chamber for a set period of time. Normally, the pressure in this chamber is a little higher than usual to ensure carbon monoxide replacement. This therapy is usually used in people with severe carbon monoxide poisoning to protect from heart and brain damage and in pregnant women to protect the baby from getting poisoned with carbon monoxide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
These include:
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Mental health problems (such as confusion)
If any of them occur do not ignore the symptoms and seek emergency care or call 911 right away.
What is the most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning?
In most cases, people get poisoned by carbon monoxide due to faulty or unvented heating equipment. For example, stoves, water heaters that use gas, furnaces, space heaters, and others. However, this dangerous health problem may occur due to other causes as well. These include:
- Charcoal grills
- Fuel-burning equipment
- Fires
- Cars
Discuss with your healthcare professional for more details.
What are the possible complications of carbon monoxide poisoning?
If a person poisoned with carbon monoxide does not receive treatment right away, it may experience some complications. For example:
- Permanent damage to the brain and nervous system due to lack of oxygen
- Heart damage that causes life-threatening heart problems
- Death
This article does not contain all possible complications caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have additional questions, ask your physician.
