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Access myPennMedicine For Patients and Visitors. Patient Information. Conditions Treated A-Z. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? Definition Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that causes thousands of deaths each year in North America.
Poisonous Ingredient Carbon monoxide is a chemical produced from the incomplete burning of natural gas or other products containing carbon.
Where Found The following items may produce carbon monoxide: Anything that burns coal, gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, or wood Automobile engines Charcoal grills charcoal should never be burned indoors Indoor and portable heating systems Portable propane heaters Stoves indoor and camp stoves Water heaters that use natural gas Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.
Symptoms When you breathe in carbon monoxide, the poison replaces the oxygen in your bloodstream. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include: Breathing problems, including no breathing, shortness of breath, or rapid breathing Chest pain may occur suddenly in people with angina Coma Confusion Convulsions Dizziness Drowsiness Fainting Fatigue General weakness and achiness Headache Hyperactivity Impaired judgment Irritability Low blood pressure Muscle weakness Rapid or abnormal heartbeat Shock Nausea and vomiting Unconsciousness Animals can also be poisoned by carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide poisoning. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Philadelphia, Pa. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Rochester, Minn. Clardy PF, et al. Toups GN expert opinion.
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 6, Toxic substances portal — Methylene chloride. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Accessed March 17, Palmer J, et al. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:. As carbon monoxide builds up in your blood , symptoms get worse and may include:.
If you have symptoms that you think could be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, leave the area right away, and call or go to the emergency room. If you keep breathing the fumes, you may pass out and die. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur suddenly or over a long period of time. Breathing low levels of carbon monoxide over a long period can cause severe heart problems and brain damage.
See a doctor if:. It can be hard to know if you have carbon monoxide poisoning. The same symptoms can be caused by flu or other problems. In the winter months, doctors may suspect carbon monoxide poisoning in people who complain of severe headache, nausea, or dizziness. This is especially true if other household members or co-workers have the same symptoms. Even pets in the home may get sick. If your doctor suspects carbon monoxide poisoning, he or she can order a blood test that measures the amount of carbon monoxide in your blood.
You may have other blood tests to check your overall health and to look for problems caused by carbon monoxide. The best treatment is oxygen therapy. Breathing pure oxygen can bring the oxygen level in the blood back to normal. There are two kinds of oxygen therapy:. With quick treatment, most people recover within a few days. But long-term problems can show up later.
Be sure to tell your doctor about any changes in vision, coordination, or behaviour that occur in the weeks after treatment. Many people die every year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. There are some easy steps you can take to reduce your risk.
One of the most important is to see a doctor right away if you think you have symptoms. Safe use of fuel-burning tools and appliances.
It's important to be aware of the dangers and identify any appliances in your house that could potentially leak carbon monoxide. Boilers, cookers, heating systems and appliances should be installed and regularly serviced by a reputable, registered engineer.
Anyone carrying out work on installations and appliances in your home must be registered with a relevant association, such as the:. It's very important to be aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and to look out for warning signs.
Investigate the possibility of a carbon monoxide leak if your pet suddenly becomes ill or dies unexpectedly and their death is not related to old age or an existing health condition. Page last reviewed: 10 April Next review due: 10 April Carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are not always obvious, particularly during low-level exposure. Other symptoms include: dizziness feeling and being sick tiredness and confusion stomach pain shortness of breath and difficulty breathing The symptoms of exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can be similar to those of food poisoning and flu.
But unlike flu, carbon monoxide poisoning does not cause a high temperature. Your symptoms may be less severe when you're away from the source of the carbon monoxide. This can happen within 2 hours if there's a lot of carbon monoxide in the air. Long-term exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can also lead to neurological symptoms, such as: difficulty thinking or concentrating frequent emotional changes — for example, becoming easily irritated, depressed, or making impulsive or irrational decisions Breathing in high levels of carbon monoxide gas can cause more severe symptoms.
These may include: impaired mental state and personality changes intoxication the feeling that you or the environment around you is spinning vertigo loss of physical co-ordination caused by underlying damage to the brain and nervous system ataxia breathlessness and a heart rate of more than beats per minute tachycardia chest pain caused by angina or a heart attack an uncontrollable burst of electrical activity in the brain that causes muscle spasms seizures loss of consciousness — in cases where there are very high levels of carbon monoxide, death may occur within minutes What causes carbon monoxide to leak?
Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood do not burn fully. Burning charcoal, running cars and the smoke from cigarettes also produce carbon monoxide gas.
Gas, oil, coal and wood are sources of fuel used in many household appliances, including: boilers gas fires central heating systems water heaters cookers open fires Incorrectly installed, poorly maintained or poorly ventilated household appliances, such as cookers, heaters and central heating boilers, are the most common causes of accidental exposure to carbon monoxide.
Other possible causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include: blocked flues and chimneys — this can stop carbon monoxide escaping, allowing it to reach dangerous levels burning fuel in an enclosed or unventilated space — for example, running a car engine, petrol-powered generator or barbecue inside a garage, or a faulty boiler in an enclosed kitchen faulty or blocked car exhausts — a leak or blockage in the exhaust pipe, such as after heavy snowfall, could lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide paint fumes — some cleaning fluids and paint removers contain methylene chloride dichloromethane ; this substance is broken down by the body into carbon monoxide smoking shisha pipes indoors — shisha pipes burn charcoal and tobacco, which can lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide in enclosed or unventilated rooms Treating carbon monoxide poisoning Seek medical advice from your GP if you think you have been exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide.
Your house will also need to be checked for safety before anyone returns. Standard oxygen therapy Standard oxygen therapy in hospital will be needed if you have been exposed to a high level of carbon monoxide, or you have symptoms that suggest exposure.
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