10
Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE
Many dangers are associated with carbon monoxide (CO), some of which are short term, and some
of which can be permanently damaging or even fatal. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur from a
number of sources, inlcuding everyday items and appliances used in the home or at work.
Once carbon monoxide has been breathed in, it replaces oxygen in the blood, thus killing off cells
and starving vital organs of oxygen.
One of the outcomes of carbon monoxide poisoning is death. A large enough dose of this
odorless, colorless and tasteless gas can kill within minutes.In fact, people die every year from
carbon monoxide poisoning without ever knowing what is happening. They simply slip in to
unconsciousness and never come around, or they may already be asleep when they breathe in the
gas and simply never wake up again.
Smaller doses of carbon monoxide poisoning can cause a range of symptoms and problems, and,
depending on how often the gas is breathed in and at what levels, can cause both short-term and
long-term damage. One of the dangers associated with short-term symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning is the non-specic nature of the symptoms, which can often resemble u.This means that
the sufferer can often go on breathing in carbon monoxide, which can then lead to either long-term
or permanent damage, or death.
The long-term dangers associated with carbon monoxide can be devastating and can affect the rest
of your life. Carbon monoxide can result in brain damage, heart problems, major organ dysfunction,
memory or cognitive problems, behavioural and personality changes and a range of other permanent
problems.
The dangers of carbon monoxide can arise both in the home and the work environment, and many
people are affected by these dangers simply through lack of knowledge and vigilance.
There are numerous ways of decreasing the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. The consequences
of inhaling carbon monoxide mostly affect people who are not familiar with signs of poisoning, how
to help and how to treat symptoms and what causes carbon monoxide pollution.
Carbon monoxide is a silent and deadly danger, and takes thousands of lives around the world each
year. The sad thing is that many carbon monoxide related deaths could have been avoided with
some basic precautions and a little vigilance.
However, the fact that this gas is almost undetectable and the fact that the symptoms of carbon
monoxide poisoning are so non-specic can contribute to the danger of this gas.
It is important to remember that learning more about the dangers of carbon monoxide can go some
way towards helping you to avoid them, or take appropriate action if you are affected by the gas.
This in turn could help to prevent serious and long-term damage, and even help to save lives.
