DARLINGTON - Nine people were taken to the hospital after becoming ill at a theater... A camper was found dead in his trailer ... A couple were forced to leave their new home due to illness after only one month living there.
Each of these cases was caused by carbon monoxide - a colorless, odorless, tasteless and potentially lethal gas. Every year, hundreds of people in the United States are killed by carbon monoxide and thousands more become ill. Home and portable carbon monoxide detectors and regular furnace inspections could prevent many of these accidents.
Carbon monoxide, or CO, is created when fuels such as gasoline, kerosene, wood, coal, oil, natural gas, and charcoal, do not have enough oxygen to burn completely. When you breathe in CO, it replaces the oxygen in your blood. CO poisoning can kill you if not treated quickly.
Common signs of exposure to low levels of CO include headache, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, and mental confusion. If exposure is ongoing, these symptoms can become chronic, often being mistaken for the flu, and may then lead to more serious health problems. If everyone in the family has the same symptoms, and these clear up when leaving the home, CO may be to blame. Unlike the flu, there is no fever with CO poisoning.
Residential CO poisonings are most often due to improperly vented furnaces, blocked chimneys, vehicles left running in garages and malfunctioning gas ranges. Those with heart conditions, the young, and the elderly are especially susceptible to CO poisoning. Pregnant women should also be careful, because CO affects the fetus more quickly.
Lafayette County Health Department recommends that carbon monoxide detectors be placed on each floor of the home with at least one near the bedrooms. Detectors are reasonably priced and can be purchased at most hardware and discount stores.
For more information, contact the Lafayette County Health Department at (608) 776-4895. For more information on carbon monoxide visit the Wisconsin Division of Public Health's Web site at: http://dhfs.wi.gov/eh/Air/
Each of these cases was caused by carbon monoxide - a colorless, odorless, tasteless and potentially lethal gas. Every year, hundreds of people in the United States are killed by carbon monoxide and thousands more become ill. Home and portable carbon monoxide detectors and regular furnace inspections could prevent many of these accidents.
Carbon monoxide, or CO, is created when fuels such as gasoline, kerosene, wood, coal, oil, natural gas, and charcoal, do not have enough oxygen to burn completely. When you breathe in CO, it replaces the oxygen in your blood. CO poisoning can kill you if not treated quickly.
Common signs of exposure to low levels of CO include headache, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, and mental confusion. If exposure is ongoing, these symptoms can become chronic, often being mistaken for the flu, and may then lead to more serious health problems. If everyone in the family has the same symptoms, and these clear up when leaving the home, CO may be to blame. Unlike the flu, there is no fever with CO poisoning.
Residential CO poisonings are most often due to improperly vented furnaces, blocked chimneys, vehicles left running in garages and malfunctioning gas ranges. Those with heart conditions, the young, and the elderly are especially susceptible to CO poisoning. Pregnant women should also be careful, because CO affects the fetus more quickly.
Lafayette County Health Department recommends that carbon monoxide detectors be placed on each floor of the home with at least one near the bedrooms. Detectors are reasonably priced and can be purchased at most hardware and discount stores.
For more information, contact the Lafayette County Health Department at (608) 776-4895. For more information on carbon monoxide visit the Wisconsin Division of Public Health's Web site at: http://dhfs.wi.gov/eh/Air/
