How long carbon monoxide does it take to kill

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Frequently Asked Questions. Minus Related Pages. For example, carbon monoxide poisoning often starts with a headache and a general feeling of sickness.

At other times carbon monoxide poisoning can cause nausea and dizziness. That means people can be deceived into thinking they are ill with a contagious disease rather than carbon monoxide poisoning. This problem especially accelerates during influenza season as the symptoms are similar and some of the problems that cause carbon monoxide poisoning are also more prevalent during the winter. As an example, individuals operate their furnaces at the same time that flu season is in full swing.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be treated if caught in time and if the condition is accurately diagnosed. Primary efforts to treat carbon monoxide poisoning center around removing the carbon monoxide molecules from the bloodstream and replacing them with oxygen. This can be accomplished by the use of oxygen therapy administered through a mask, which will accelerate the process of pushing the carbon monoxide back out of the blood cells. Other treatment options include the use of pressurized oxygen, called hyperbaric medicine, which provides for a more intense level of oxygen saturation.

Even if you recover from the short-term negative effects, long-term exposure can cause impaired thinking and mental functioning. Ultimately, best way to handle carbon monoxide poisoning it to prevent it from occurring in the first place. A leading source of carbon monoxide poisoning inside homes are malfunctioning furnaces, though other sources are certainly possible. 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. When should CO poisoning be suspected? Some clues for a family include:. What should be done for someone who suffers from CO poisoning? They should immediately be moved into fresh air and medical authorities consulted. 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.

In very severe cases, it can result in death. Brain damage Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can cause memory problems and difficulty concentrating.