How does carbon monoxide affect the body

This makes even small amounts of carbon monoxide dangerous. Physical, non-reversible damage can occur. How much is dangerous? High concentrations of carbon monoxide kill in less than five minutes. At low concentrations it will require a longer period of time to affect the body. Exceeding the EPA concentration of 9 ppm for more than 8 hours is suspected to produce adverse health affects in persons at risk. The U. Occupational Health and Safety limit for healthy workers is 50 ppm.

Carbon monoxide detectors, which are designed to protect against high concentration of carbon monoxide are required to sound an alarm when concentrations are greater than ppm. Continued exposure to carbon monoxide can cause permanent brain, nerve, or heart damage.

Some people require years to recover while others might never fully recover. What factors determine the danger level? For instance, a concentration of ppm will cause headaches in 1 to 2 hours. In 3 to 5 hours the same concentration can lead to unconsciousness and death. Physical exertion, with an accompanying increase in respiration rate, shortens the time to critical levels by 2 or 3 fold.

Since 50 ppm is the Occupation Health and Safety limit, is it safe for all people? Respiratory capacity decreases and the risk of heart attack increases at levels well below 50 ppm. The EPA level of 9 ppm appears to be a reasonable limit in homes. Carbon monoxide CO is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless but dangerous gas. Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels are burned such as gasoline, natural gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal.

Breathing CO reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen. It can reach dangerous levels indoors or outdoors. Once inhaled, CO attaches to the hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin normally carries oxygen throughout the body. When CO attaches, it blocks the oxygen the body must have, creating a wide range of health problems. Many of these symptoms are similar to the flu, food poisoning or other illnesses. So you may not suspect CO poisoning.

If symptoms persist, and especially if they get better after you leave the building, CO may be the cause. Breathing higher levels of CO causes flu-like symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and weakness in healthy people. Breathing CO at low levels regularly may cause permanent mental or physical problems. At very high levels, it causes loss of consciousness and death.

Approximately people die each year from CO exposure related to fuel-burning, residential appliances. Thousands more became ill or sought medical attention. In addition, outdoor air can have too much CO, especially near roads where tailpipe emissions can build up. After an emergency or power outage, be sure to remember these steps so you don't risk your family's health.

Too many people are poisoned by CO after bad weather emergencies, like snowstorms and hurricanes. Page last reviewed: 10 April Next review due: 10 April Carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are not always obvious, particularly during low-level exposure.

Other symptoms include: dizziness feeling and being sick tiredness and confusion stomach pain shortness of breath and difficulty breathing The symptoms of exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can be similar to those of food poisoning and flu.

But unlike flu, carbon monoxide poisoning does not cause a high temperature. Your symptoms may be less severe when you're away from the source of the carbon monoxide. This can happen within 2 hours if there's a lot of carbon monoxide in the air. Long-term exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can also lead to neurological symptoms, such as: difficulty thinking or concentrating frequent emotional changes — for example, becoming easily irritated, depressed, or making impulsive or irrational decisions Breathing in high levels of carbon monoxide gas can cause more severe symptoms.

These may include: impaired mental state and personality changes intoxication the feeling that you or the environment around you is spinning vertigo loss of physical co-ordination caused by underlying damage to the brain and nervous system ataxia breathlessness and a heart rate of more than beats per minute tachycardia chest pain caused by angina or a heart attack an uncontrollable burst of electrical activity in the brain that causes muscle spasms seizures loss of consciousness — in cases where there are very high levels of carbon monoxide, death may occur within minutes What causes carbon monoxide to leak?

Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood do not burn fully. Burning charcoal, running cars and the smoke from cigarettes also produce carbon monoxide gas. Gas, oil, coal and wood are sources of fuel used in many household appliances, including: boilers gas fires central heating systems water heaters cookers open fires Incorrectly installed, poorly maintained or poorly ventilated household appliances, such as cookers, heaters and central heating boilers, are the most common causes of accidental exposure to carbon monoxide.

Other possible causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include: blocked flues and chimneys — this can stop carbon monoxide escaping, allowing it to reach dangerous levels burning fuel in an enclosed or unventilated space — for example, running a car engine, petrol-powered generator or barbecue inside a garage, or a faulty boiler in an enclosed kitchen faulty or blocked car exhausts — a leak or blockage in the exhaust pipe, such as after heavy snowfall, could lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide paint fumes — some cleaning fluids and paint removers contain methylene chloride dichloromethane ; this substance is broken down by the body into carbon monoxide smoking shisha pipes indoors — shisha pipes burn charcoal and tobacco, which can lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide in enclosed or unventilated rooms Treating carbon monoxide poisoning Seek medical advice from your GP if you think you have been exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide.

Your house will also need to be checked for safety before anyone returns. Standard oxygen therapy Standard oxygen therapy in hospital will be needed if you have been exposed to a high level of carbon monoxide, or you have symptoms that suggest exposure. Breathing in concentrated oxygen enables your body to quickly replace carboxyhaemoglobin. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy HBOT floods the body with pure oxygen, helping it overcome the oxygen shortage caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Standard oxygen therapy is usually the recommended treatment option. Recovery The length of time it takes to recover from carbon monoxide poisoning will depend on how much carbon monoxide you have been exposed to and how long you have been exposed to it.

Complications of carbon monoxide poisoning Prolonged significant exposure to carbon monoxide can cause serious complications, including brain damage and heart problems. The person may feel as if they have the flu , but without a temperature.

If several people in the same building have the same symptoms, they may have CO poisoning. If this happens, all cooking and heating appliances should be switched off, all windows opened, and the local gas safety authorities notified.

People with heart-related or breathing problems tend to be affected more quickly by CO gas poisoning. Pregnant women, babies, and small children are also more susceptible. Pets, too, will react quickly to CO poisoning. If a family pet suddenly gets ill or unexpectedly dies, and the death cannot be linked to anything else, such as age or an existing condition, the owners should try to rule out CO poisoning as one of the possible causes.

Household appliances, such as gas fires, boilers, central heating systems, water heaters, cookers, and open fires which use gas, oil, coal and wood may be possible sources of CO gas. It happens when the fuel does not burn fully.

If household appliances are well serviced and used safely, they should produce negligible quantities of CO gas. Using old appliances, and not servicing them frequently, leads to a higher risk of CO emission. Products that contain methylene chloride dichloromethane should be handled with care, because methylene chloride turns into CO when it is breathed in. A physician may request a blood test to detect unusual levels of carboxyhemoglobin and perhaps an electrocardiogram ECG assess how well the heart is pumping blood around the body.

The first step is to move away from the possible source of CO gas, and to have symptoms assessed. If symptoms are severe, the person may be hospitalized. Hospital treatment includes percent oxygen delivered through a mask, to speed up the production of oxyhemoglobin, as this will replace the carboxyhemoglobin.