Health Effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide health effects can be deadly. Colorless, odorless, tasteless — it’s nearly impossible to tell that you’ve been exposed to these harmful fumes until you begin to feel sick. Even then, most people don’t realize what’s causing their dizziness and nausea. The quick cure for mild carbon monoxide exposure is to step outside and take a few deep breaths. This helps to clear the contaminant from your body. Sadly, hundreds of people annually fail to do this, possibly because they don’t understand what’s happening to them. Instead, they assume they’ve caught a mild case of flu, go to bed sick, and never wake up again.

The importance of installing carbon monoxide detectors in your home can’t be stressed enough. Detectors save lives — yours, your family, and your pets. They should be on the to-do list of every home-and property-owner, and they make the perfect addition to any monitored home security system. Protect America can help you get started.

Carbon Monoxide Health Effects

Carbon monoxide offers no positive health effects. It’s a contaminant that replaces the oxygen in our blood cells, suffocating us slowly. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) are mild at first, but they progress quickly. They include:

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Confused thoughts
• Headache
• Lethargy
• Respiratory distress
• Clumsiness
• Blurred Vision
• Chest Pain
• Rapid Heartbeat
• Death

The onset of carbon monoxide poisoning depends upon how much time you spend in the rooms where the gas is venting and how much gas is present. Long-term exposure to carbon monoxide may cause more serious health problems than short-term exposure. The National Fire Protection Association states,

“The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim’s health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body’s ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be.”

Delayed Carbon Monoxide Health Effects

Scientists have discovered links between victims who were once treated for COP and health problems later in life. This means that even if you’re exposed, treated, and have a full recovery, you may still be more susceptible to certain health problems as you age. Studies published by the National Institutes of Health list several important findings, including:

• Risk of stroke is increased.
• Risk of mental disorder is increased.
• Higher incidence of death occurred in the 12 months following treatment.
• Death rates were higher in males, in people who already suffered from diabetes or heart conditions, and people over the age of 30.

Even if you realize what’s happening and seek treatment in time, you may still be faced with health challenges in the future — all because of exposure to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide detectors cost only dollars. They’re simple to install, and they can easily prevent tragedies like these from happening.

How Carbon Monoxide Exposure Happens

Carbon monoxide is a waste product emitted by gas-powered engines and wood or charcoal fires. Some solvents may also release carbon monoxide when used. It’s easy to become exposed to this contaminant in your own home if a chimney becomes blocked, someone leaves a car running in the attached garage, or you use a kerosene space heater in a room with little ventilation. It can be easy to overlook the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially once temperatures drop, and you’re scrounging for additional heat sources.

Most people who suffer COP are unaware there’s a problem. They don’t realize the stove has malfunctioned or the furnace isn’t working properly. They may not realize they’re in danger until the carbon monoxide health effects begin to happen. This is why it’s important to keep gas-powered appliances and systems professionally cleaned and maintained on an annual basis. The addition of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is a solid back-up plan should something inside your home fail catastrophically.

How Many Carbon Monoxide Detectors Should You Have?

How Protect America Can Help

At Protect America, we offer smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide monitoring as parts of our home security packages. You can pick and choose a home security plan that’s right for you and control everything from the ease and convenience of your mobile device. Even when you’re away from home, our 24/7 sensors are working hard to keep those left behind safe and protected. It takes less than an hour to install our home-monitoring system, and you’ll sleep better at night, knowing those you love are safe from intruders, fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide gas.

When you’re ready to talk about a new home-monitoring service for your family’s safety, Protect America offers multiple solutions. Customizable, affordable, and most of all — accurate — our home security packages have everything the other companies don’t offer, including:

• Round-the-clock video monitoring, featuring two-way capability.
• Sensors that detect both heat and movement.
• Complete home perimeter defense.
• Heat, smoke, and carbon monitoring.
• Glass-break sensors.
• Immediate help at your fingertips.

With a Protect America home security system in place, help is always only a single phone call away. If you’re unable to answer, police are dispatched immediately. Call Protect America today for a free quote on how to keep your family, pets, and possessions safe from everything that threatens them.

 

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