Buzz
Known as 'the silent killer,' carbon monoxide is an invisible, scentless, and flavorless gas, making it nearly undetectable by human senses. When breathed in, it displaces oxygen molecules that typically bind to hemoglobin in red blood cells. The bond between carbon monoxide and hemoglobin is over two hundred times stronger than that of oxygen and hemoglobin. This prevents sufficient oxygen from reaching vital tissues, leading to illness or even death. According to the CDC, carbon monoxide poisoning causes approximately 500 accidental deaths, 2,000 suicides, and around 15,000 emergency-room visits annually in the United States.
In your home, carbon monoxide is often produced by fuel-based appliances like furnaces, space heaters, water heaters, clothes dryers, and fireplaces. Outdoors, gasoline-powered engines in cars, lawn mowers, and generators also emit this gas. While these are safe when properly maintained and ventilated, malfunctions or poor ventilation can lead to dangerous situations. So, how can you protect your home from carbon monoxide risks?
- Look for warning signs such as heavy condensation on windows or walls, rusty or sooty furnaces, chimneys, or flues, stale or unpleasant odors, or a furnace that doesn’t heat properly or runs nonstop.
- Pay attention to physical symptoms that may signal carbon monoxide exposure, including headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and flu-like symptoms.
- Schedule annual maintenance for your heating system, water heater, and other gas, oil, or coal-burning appliances with a qualified technician. Also, have a chimney sweep inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney. Follow their recommendations to ensure your home remains safe.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home, particularly near bedrooms.
- Avoid using generators, charcoal grills, camp stoves, or similar devices indoors, in basements, garages, or near open windows.
- Never run engines inside your garage, use your oven for heating, or burn charcoal indoors, even in fireplaces.
Excerpted from How Not to Die by Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
right © 2008 by Atlas Media Corp. and Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Rights provided by Crown Publishers, New York, NY
