Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that causes thousands of deaths each year in North America. It is the leading cause of poisoning death in the United States.
This article discusses poisoning from breathing in carbon monoxide.
Poisonous Ingredient:
Carbon monoxide, a chemical produced from the incomplete burning of natural gas or other products containing carbon.
Where Found:
The following items may produce carbon monoxide:
Anything that burns coal, gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, or wood
Automobile engines
Charcoal grills (charcoal should never be burned indoors)
When you breathe in carbon monoxide, the poison replaces the oxygen in your bloodstream. Your heart, brain, and body will become starved of oxygen.
Symptoms vary from person to person. Those at high risk include young children, the elderly, persons with lung or heart disease, people at high altitudes, and smokers. Carbon monoxide can harm a fetus (unborn baby still in the womb).
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include:
Review Date: 1/17/2007
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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