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