Archives: December 2013

Most of us know that there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in our homes and offices. We know that carbon monoxide is also called the silent killer because it is so easy to have unknown prolonged exposure and die in your sleep. Acute poisoning is very quick, which is why there are still so many suicide attempts with people who run their exhaust fumes into their vehicle. However, studies in experimental settings have focused mainly on the short term effects. The long term effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, therefore, are still very unclear.

If you think you have carbon monoxide poisoning, it is incredibly important to seek immediate medical advice. Do not wait for an appointment to be available at your family doctor’s office, but go straight to hospital. Here, the right treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning can be provided to you as soon as you need it. Your symptoms will be quite telling, but medical professionals will usually also take blood samples to confirm it. This will also allow them to measure how high the concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin in your blood are. If it is above 30%, you have had severe exposure. The level of exposure will determine what treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning is most suitable to your needs. Usually, if there is only a case of mild poisoning, no hospital treatment will be needed, but medical advice must still be obtained. Let’s take a look at the different types of treatment you may receive.  Read More Here…

As with everything in life, prevention is better than the cure. This is why everyone should know how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. The best thing you can do is make sure you have everything in place to stop carbon monoxide from becoming a problem at all.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a very regular killer. It is known as the silent killer, because people often don’t notice it is there and simply fall asleep never to wake up again. Before looking at the sources of carbon monoxide poisoning, it is important to understand just what carbon monoxide is. We will also look at the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Knowing and understanding the signs and symptoms has the potential to save lives.  Read More Here…

Carbon monoxide poisoning is potentially lethal. It is also known as the silent killer, because carbon monoxide as a gas does not have any smell, color or taste. Furthermore, because it doesn’t kill very quickly – unless there are very high levels of carbon monoxide – people often go through life slowly getting poisoned to death. In order to prevent this, you must understand the most frequent carbon monoxide symptoms. It is also important to understand this as it will help diagnose the issue.  Read More Here…

Carbon monoxide is produced when certain fuels do not burn completely. Common fuels are wood, gas, oil and charcoal. If carbon monoxide is breathed in, the blood is less able to carry oxygen around the body to all the vital organs. So what is carbon monoxide poisoning? Essentially, it means that the body becomes starved of oxygen, eventually dying. Understanding what is carbon monoxide poisoning is just one piece of the puzzle, however. What is far more important to know is that it almost always happens in the home. The most common sources include faulty boilers or central heating systems, fires and gas appliances. Also, people with open fires in their homes may have blocked chimneys or flues, which stops carbon monoxide to escape. Poorly ventilated rooms are also a big culprit. One other common source is the exhaust gases of cars, which is one of the reasons why using exhaust gases is still a common way for people to commit suicide. Every year, several hundred people die of carbon monoxide poisoning and even more are left seriously ill because of it.  Read More Here…

Carbon monoxide has no taste or smell and does not call any irritation to the skin or airways. This is why it is known as the silent killer, because it is a highly toxic gas that people often don’t detect until it is too late. In this country, around 500 people die each year of the dangers of carbon monoxide, and an even larger amount receives what is known as sub-lethal poisoning. However, it is believed that these figures are skewed because people who have died may be wrongfully diagnosed as having had a heart attack or other problems when carbon monoxide was the real culprit.

The biggest problem is that there is a serious lack of awareness around the dangers of carbon monoxide. This is true both for everyday people and medical professionals. Furthermore, carbon monoxide poisoning usually mimics other medical conditions, including the flu, gastroenteritis and food poisoning. The difference is, however, that poisoning doesn’t cause people to develop a fever. The only way to overcome this silent killer is to raise awareness across the public about the dangers of carbon monoxide, as well as increasing the vigilance exhibited by healthcare professionals, so they are better able to detect poisoning. Certain people are at particular risk of poisoning, being pregnant women, children, people with heart conditions and babies. However, even those who do not fall into these categories can be at high risk.  Read the full article here…

Carbon Monoxide poisoning