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Exposing an Invisible Killer

Carbon Monoxide poisoning has been very much in the news recently. Your friends at North-West Fire Protection District would like to take a minute to help you understand the dangers surrounding this potentially deadly gas and what you can do to help protect yourself.

"Winter is the time when people are more susceptible to CO poisoning. High heating fuel prices and power outages during winter months can cause residents to look for alternative sources of heat. All too often, these alternative sources can increase a family's risk of carbon monoxide poisoning," says North-West Fire Chief Mike Roll.

Cooking appliances like stoves should never be used to heat a home. Residents are encouraged to have their home heating systems inspected yearly to make sure they are working correctly. When not used and maintained correctly, oil and gas heating systems and wood stoves can all be sources of deadly carbon monoxide gas.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that results from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels like petroleum gas, oil, wood, coal or other fuels. Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headache, nausea, dizziness and lethargy, which are often mistaken for flu symptoms. Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized due to CO poisoning. Elderly residents over the age of 65 have the highest carbon monoxide poisoning death rate, and are at higher risk for undetected exposure.

CO detectors should be installed on every level of your home and every sleeping area in areas that will not be blocked by draperies or furniture. Without these detectors people who are sleeping can die from CO poisoning before ever experiencing symptoms. If a CO detector goes off, leave the house immediately and call 911.

If you have any medical questions about carbon monoxide poisoning, please contact your Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222; questions regarding your carbon monoxide detector may be directed to your local fire department.