Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can become very lethal if inhaled.    Every year more than 200 people die from CO poisoning and many more go to the emergency room to receive treatment from poisoning.  Carbon monoxide consists in such fuels as L.P. gas, oil, wood, and many others.  Furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters, and stoves can all produce CO. When CO is inhaled it can cut off your body's ability to use oxygen, which starves body and brain tissue and becomes detrimental to your health.

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Carbon Monoxide                    The Silent Killer

Inhaling CO can cause extreme drowsiness. This can happen while asleep which can lead to loss of consciousness, brain damage, and even death. Babies, younger children, and elderly are at the greatest risk for poisoning.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The first thing a home owner should do is to make sure that all fuel-burning appliances are working correctly. This means making sure that your homes heating system, hot water heaters, dryers, fireplaces, and stoves have been installed correctly, with proper ventilation. To properly diagnose your equipment a trained, certified heating and cooling technician should be called to properly test your equipment.

 

Proper maintenance on your heating and cooling equipment can prevent a potentially fatal incident. A yearly check-up and your furnace, air conditioner, and water heater will prevent CO from harming your family's health.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be very similar to another illness, influenza.
Health care providers often over look CO poisoning because most are not aware of the symptoms. Symptoms can include, nausea, headaches, dizziness, confusion, vomiting, and fainting. You may feel ill when you awake in the morning, but feel significantly better after leaving the home after a few hours.