Keeping carbon monoxide out of your home

Every year in the US, about 10,000 persons are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, and roughly 400 die from unintentional exposure. This mostly occurs in our cold winter months, like now… Why winter? Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas normally found in the atmosphere at low levels. Many things contribute to the level of CO in the air, both outdoors (like pollution) and indoors (like tobacco smoke). High levels can also be produced from the burning of wood, gas, and other fuels. Poor heating systems or those with improper ventilation can lead to dangerous levels of CO in the air. This, coupled with energy-conserving “airtight” homes with insulation and sealed windows, can further trap CO inside. But unless you’re looking for it, you wouldn’t know you’re breathing in CO. What happens with CO poisoning? When CO is inhaled at high concentrations, it displaces the oxygen from the hemoglobin in red blood cells. That means the body doesn’t get the oxygen it needs. Symptoms of CO poisoning vary and may sound a lot like the flu — but there’s no fever. One clue may be a pattern of symptoms that occur in the same enclosed space, but that improve outside in fresh air. The most common complaint is headache. Other symptoms might be feeling tired, nauseated, dizzy, or short of breath. In more serious cases, this can progress to confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness, and death. The risks depend on your underlying health, the level ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Safety Source Type: blogs