What makes carbon monoxide toxic

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. Hemoglobin is the molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues all over the body, and it brings carbon dioxide CO2 back from the tissues.

CO binds to hemoglobin over times more easily than oxygen does, so if CO is present, oxygen will not be able to find space to get into the hemoglobin. This is because the space is occupied with CO. The human body needs oxygen, but it has no use for CO. If we breathe in CO, it provides no benefit, but it deprives the blood of oxygen. Vitas Gerulaitis, the tennis star, died of CO poisoning in A person who is exposed to CO may notice that something is wrong, but they may not know where the symptoms are coming from.

The person may feel as if they have the flu , but without a temperature. If several people in the same building have the same symptoms, they may have CO poisoning. If this happens, all cooking and heating appliances should be switched off, all windows opened, and the local gas safety authorities notified. People with heart-related or breathing problems tend to be affected more quickly by CO gas poisoning. Pregnant women, babies, and small children are also more susceptible. Pets, too, will react quickly to CO poisoning.

If a family pet suddenly gets ill or unexpectedly dies, and the death cannot be linked to anything else, such as age or an existing condition, the owners should try to rule out CO poisoning as one of the possible causes. Household appliances, such as gas fires, boilers, central heating systems, water heaters, cookers, and open fires which use gas, oil, coal and wood may be possible sources of CO gas. It happens when the fuel does not burn fully.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by inhaling combustion fumes. When too much carbon monoxide is in the air you're breathing, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. This prevents oxygen from reaching your tissues and organs. Various fuel-burning appliances and engines produce carbon monoxide. The amount of carbon monoxide produced by these sources usually isn't cause for concern. But if they're used in a closed or partially closed space — cooking with a charcoal grill indoors, for example — the carbon monoxide can build to dangerous levels.

Use caution when working with solvents in a closed area. Methylene chloride, a solvent commonly found in paint and varnish removers, can break down metabolize into carbon monoxide when inhaled. Exposure to methylene chloride can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. When working with solvents at home, use them only outdoors or in well-ventilated areas.

Carefully read the instructions and follow the safety precautions on the label. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention.

You can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The health care provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The person may receive:. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause death. For those who survive, recovery is slow. How well a person does depends on the amount and length of exposure to the carbon monoxide.

Permanent brain damage may occur. If the person still has impaired mental ability after 2 weeks, the chance of a complete recovery is worse. Impaired mental ability can reappear after a person has been symptom-free for 1 to 2 weeks. Toxicology and therapeutic drug monitoring. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Christiani DC. Physical and chemical injuries of the lung. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Inhaled toxins. URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit.

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