Staff Report
As the winter months settle in, people look to their heaters for comfort, unaware of the hidden dangers that exist from inhaling carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide, the gaseous byproduct of faulty furnaces and car heaters, poisons anyone who inhales it, causing sickness and in many cases, death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide poisoning is the No. 1 cause of poisoning deaths in the United States. There are more than 2,100 unintentional deaths attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning each year, most of them coming during the winter months.
Called "the silent killer," carbon monoxide cannot be seen, tasted or smelled. It damages the body by slowing down its motor functions and cutting off oxygen to the brain.
The gas comes from the burning of fossil fuels and its effects on the body often go unnoticed.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include tightness across the forehead, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, a rapid heart beat and dimness of vision," said Blaine Benson, director of the New Mexico Poison Control Center, in a University news release.
According to the CDC, while carbon monoxide poisoning is very dangerous, it is easily preventable.
Most poisoning deaths occur in the home, while people are asleep due to faulty appliances such as portable heaters and furnaces.
Carbon monoxide detectors, which measure the amount of gas in a room and whose alarm sounds when dangerous levels are detected, are the easiest and most economical way to reduce the dangers from the gas, according to the center's Web site.
The detectors range in price from $10 to more than $30. The machines are not usually strong enough to test gas levels in an entire house; one for every sleeping area and every level of a house is the preferred strategy, according to the Web site.
Routine checks by certified technicians, while more expensive, are also successful at reducing the possibility of unintentional poisoning and often come with warranties.
"To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, buy carbon monoxide detectors and place them in every area of the home," Benson said. "Because carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer, a detector could mean the difference between life and death."
