Taking Immediate Steps
Pay attention to symptoms. Carbon monoxide gives very specific symptoms. You may notice shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, and headaches. It can also cause confusion and weakness. You may even vomit, have chest pains, or pass out. Sometimes carbon monoxide poisoning feels like you have the flu. However, keep in mind these symptoms can indicate other health issues.
Move to fresh air. If you suspect you are getting carbon monoxide poisoning, you need to get out of the area. Go outside, and take deep breaths of fresh air to help cleanse the carbon monoxide from your system.
Call 911. Even when you get out of the area, you still need emergency medical help. Call emergency services if you think you or someone else has carbon monoxide poisoning. It's helpful to know the person's weight, age, general condition, and how long they've been exposed to carbon monoxide to tell the operator. Never drive yourself to the hospital if you think you have carbon monoxide poisoning. You could lose consciousness at the wheel.
Getting Medical Assistance
Expect to be put on pure oxygen. At the hospital, you will likely be given pure oxygen to breathe. To receive this oxygen, you'll need to have a mask placed over your mouth and nose. You'll be placed on ventilation if you're having trouble breathing on your own.
Be ready for tests. Once you're stabilized, you'll likely receive tests to measure the levels of oxygen in your blood. You may have blood and urine tests, x-rays, and EKGs.
Spend time in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. With this treatment, they'll take you into a chamber. Inside the chamber, the rate of oxygen is higher than outside of the chamber. You won't notice much difference between inside and outside the chamber, except that you might feel slight pressure in your ears.
Be patient with recovery. Typically, carbon monoxide is removed from your system in 4 hours. If you pass out from carbon monoxide poisoning, you may experience relapses for several weeks. You may have headaches, fatigue, and foggy thinking. You might also be irritable. If you're exposed for too long to carbon monoxide, you can have permanent organ damage or even permanent brain damage.
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Install carbon monoxide detectors. Perhaps the best way to protect yourself against carbon monoxide poisoning is to purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors in your house. They sound an alarm if they detect carbon monoxide, so you can leave the house. Check the batteries in the spring and fall when you adjust the clocks.
Call in the professionals. Anything that could potentially leak carbon monoxide should be serviced by a professional at least once a year. That includes gas stoves, gas water heaters, gas furnaces, and anything that burns coal or oil. Call your local gas company immediately if you smell natural gas or hear a hissing or roaring sound coming from a pipe.
Turn off your car when you're in an enclosed space. Cars release carbon monoxide, so you can get carbon monoxide poisoning if you let your car run in your garage. It can also leak carbon monoxide into your house. Turn off your car as soon as you enter your garage.
Check for proper ventilation. If you are burning anything in an oven or fireplace, it should be properly vented to the outside. Always check to make sure the flue is open to let the smoke out. Similarly, don't use a gas-powered generator or grill inside the garage or house.
Don't try to heat your house with a gas oven. If your heat is off, you may be tempted to try to heat the house by opening the door on your gas oven. However, that can leak dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide into your house, particularly if the fire goes out.
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