read more about gas safety and carbon monoxideĬomplications of carbon monoxide poisoning.Your house will also need to be checked for safety before anyone returns. Go immediately to your local emergency department if you think you or someone with you has been exposed to carbon monoxide and the symptoms suggest high levels (see above). Seek medical advice from your GP if you think you've been exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide. The risk of exposure to carbon monoxide from portable devices may also be higher in caravans, boats and mobile homes. 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. loss of consciousness – in cases where there are very high levels of carbon monoxide, death may occur within minutesĬarbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood don't burn fully.īurning charcoal, running cars and the smoke from cigarettes also produce carbon monoxide gas.seizures – an uncontrollable burst of electrical activity in the brain that causes muscle spasms. chest pain caused by angina or a heart attack.breathlessness and tachycardia (a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute).ataxia – loss of physical co-ordination caused by underlying damage to the brain and nervous system.vertigo – the feeling that you or the environment around you is spinning.impaired mental state and personality changes (intoxication).The symptoms can gradually get worse with long periods of exposure to carbon monoxide, leading to a delay in diagnosis.īreathing in high levels of carbon monoxide gas can cause more severe symptoms. 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 doesn't cause a high temperature (fever). shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning aren't always obvious, particularly during low-level exposure.Ī tension-type headache is the most common symptom of mild carbon monoxide poisoning. Other symptoms include: Go immediately to your local emergency department if you think you've been exposed to carbon monoxide and have symptoms (see below). It can kill if you're exposed to high levels. So it’s important that people understand the symptoms of CO poisoning, and if you notice any symptoms in combination go outside immediately and seek help.Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. “Common household appliances like boilers, gas fires, log burners, and cookers can all cause accidental exposure. “You can’t see, smell, or taste a carbon monoxide leak, so it’s important to be aware of this potentially fatal danger in the home,” said npower spokesperson Matthew Cole in a press release. But if you happen to be in an indoor location that has no detector and your dog suddenly starts exhibiting troublesome symptoms, take your pet and get the heck out of there immediately. Experts say the best way to protect everyone in your home from CO poisoning is to install a detector on each floor of your house, which will alert you if there’s gas in the air. However, it’s crucial to remember that while some dogs are able to realize there’s a problem, this is not always the case.Ī CO leak can potentially be fatal, so it’s crucial to keep your house and all your loved ones - including your fur babies - safe from this problem happening in the first place. It’s no wonder why a dog acting stranger than usual can potentially save a life. Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning in pups include vomiting, tiredness, and erratic behavior. Since most dogs are much smaller than us, carbon monoxide tends to affect them before it affects people. I later found out that the gas fire was giving off high readings of carbon monoxide, as was the cooker.” “I was able to get up and went out for fresh air in good time. “I was very lucky as three years ago one evening, I passed out on the sofa whilst watching television and my seven-year-old Collie named Candy licked me non-stop to wake me up,” said 53-year-old dog owner Cathy Jessop.
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