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Carbon Monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is produced when fuel is burned. Such things that produce this gas would be a furnace, a gas water heater, kerosene space heater, car engine, or a cooking grill just to name a few. If one of these fuel-burning devices is improperly installed or vented incorrectly, the carbon monoxide it
gives off can build up in the air, causing potential harm. As you breath in the air when there is a build up of carbon monoxide, it enters a person’s lungs, taking place of the
oxygen in the blood stream that is needed in the body. If the concentration of carbon monoxide is high enough, a person will start to develop symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning.
Carbon Monoxide is colorless and odorless, so a person will not know it is accumulating by their senses alone. So in order to prevent a build up a person must use
and ventilate fuel-burning devices properly. Also making sure space heaters have oxygen depletion sensors, which is a sense when oxygen levels are too low for proper burning of
fuel. Another good precaution is making sure furnaces and vented heaters have a vent safety shutoff system. This will automatically shut off the appliance if a vent or a chimney
on the appliance is disconnected or blocked. Having the chimney and vents inspected by a qualified technician is a good idea to ensure they are open freely. Never leave a car
running in a closed garage and never use any chemicals in areas that are not well ventilated.
Some of the most initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning would include headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most severe symptoms of the poisoning are shortness of breath, chest pain, heart arrhythmia, bluish color to the skin and nailbeds, cherry-red skin, lips, and nailbeds, vision hanged, confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, muscle breakdown, which results in kidney failure. All of these
are very serious symptoms, whether initial or more severe, and need to be checked out by a doctor right away.
If a person thinks that they might have carbon monoxide poisoning, they need to get fresh air right away. Always call for medical help.
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