How fast carbon monoxide kill

Approximately people visit emergency department each year for treatment of symptoms linked to unintentional CO exposure.

For more information Carbon Monoxide Data Portal. The good news is that carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented with simple actions such as installing a CO alarm and maintaining fuel burning appliances.

CO is produced whenever a material burns. Homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages are more likely to have CO problems Common sources of CO in our homes include fuel-burning appliances and devices such as:. Ideally, the level of CO indoors should be the same as CO concentrations outside. Paul metro area, outdoor CO levels typically range from 0. These levels are well below the federal standard of 9 ppm for CO in outdoor air. In general, concentrations are lower in rural areas and higher in urban areas.

Finding CO concentrations higher indoors than outdoors indicates a source of CO either inside or very close to your home. There are a number of ways people can be exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide while participating in activities such as camping, fishing, hunting and boating.

It is important to know what appliances in your home are fuel-burning and make sure that they are maintained properly. All of these appliances should be vented to the outside. You should have your fuel-burning appliances ex. It is also a good idea to know the signs of a potential CO problem:. Never use appliances intended for outdoor use inside. Examples include barbecue grills, camp stoves, portable generators or gas-powered lawn equipment. Do not use an oven to heat your home.

Often oxygen is administered. In severe cases, patients are treated in a hyperbaric chamber. This is a pressurized oxygen chamber. The combination of oxygen and elevated pressure quickly and thoroughly forces carbon monoxide from the body. Following are the locations of hyperbaric chambers in Iowa. The half-life of carboxyhemoglobin in fresh air is approximately 4 hours. To completely flush the carbon monoxide from the body requires several hours, valuable time when additional damage can occur.

Medical treatment, using oxygen or hyperbaric chambers, can reduce CO damage, speed recovery, and reduce medical problems. After CO exposure how long do the effects last? When people lose consciousness due to carbon monoxide poisoning, they will typically have relapses for several weeks. They will suffer from headache, fatigue, loss of memory, difficulty in thinking clearly, irrational behavior, and irritability. Recover can be slow and frustrating. Some individuals suffer permanent brain and organ damage.

Victims may be highly sensitive to CO for the rest of their lives. Can I be tested for carbon monoxide? If you have recently been exposed, a breath test can determine carbon monoxide levels.

Medical laboratories can measure carboxyhemoglobin levels in the blood. Carboxyhemoglogin levels in the blood drop after the victim is removed from the carbon monoxide source. For this reason, carboxyhemoglobin tests should not be used as the only indicator of the danger of exposure or the possible adverse health effects. Neurological assessment tests, which ask the patient to perform a variety of physical and mental skills, can be used to determine the effects of CO exposure.

Because the effects of carbon monoxide may last for months, lack of elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels in the blood does not insure that carbon monoxide is not the cause of health problems. Consult hyperbaric chamber medical staff who are experienced in carbon monoxide poisoning diagnosis for interpretation of results.

What should I do to protect myself from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning? First, purchase a carbon monoxide detector s. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are not always obvious, particularly during low-level exposure.

A tension-type headache is the most common symptom of mild carbon monoxide poisoning. The symptoms of exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can be similar to those of food poisoning and flu. The symptoms can gradually get worse with prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide, leading to a delay in diagnosis. If this is the case, you should investigate the possibility of a carbon monoxide leak and ask a suitably qualified professional to check any appliances you think may be faulty and leaking gas.

The longer you inhale the gas, the worse your symptoms will be. You may lose balance, vision and memory and, eventually, you may lose consciousness. Long-term exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can also lead to neurological symptoms, such as:. 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.

The risk of exposure to carbon monoxide from portable devices may also be higher in caravans, boats and mobile homes. Seek medical advice from your GP if you think you have been exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide. Your symptoms will often indicate whether you have carbon monoxide poisoning, but a blood test will confirm the amount of carboxyhaemoglobin in your blood. People who smoke can often have higher than normal levels of carboxyhaemoglobin in their blood, which can sometimes make it difficult to interpret the results.

Mild carbon monoxide poisoning does not usually need hospital treatment, but it's still important that you seek medical advice. 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.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy HBOT floods the body with pure oxygen, helping it overcome the oxygen shortage caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. There's currently not enough evidence about the long-term effectiveness of HBOT for treating severe cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

HBOT may be recommended in certain situations — for example, if there's been extensive exposure to carbon monoxide and nerve damage is suspected. Its use is decided on a case-by-case basis. The length of time it takes to recover from carbon monoxide poisoning will depend on how much carbon monoxide you have been exposed to and how long you have been exposed to it.

Prolonged significant exposure to carbon monoxide can cause serious complications, including brain damage and heart problems. It can also cause vision loss and hearing loss. In rare cases, severe carbon monoxide poisoning can cause Parkinsonism, which is characterised by tremors , stiffness and slow movement.

Parkinsonism is not the same as Parkinson's disease , which is a degenerative neurological condition linked to ageing. Coronary heart disease is another serious condition that can develop as a result of long-term carbon monoxide exposure. Coronary heart disease is where the heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances atheroma in the coronary arteries. If the blood supply is restricted, it can cause angina chest pains.