Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
People
die every winter from carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon Monoxide is a
colorless and odorless gas. It often happens without warning. This
tragedy is due to old appliances like gas furnaces, hot water heaters,
dryers, stoves and any machine fueled with natural gas. Aging cracks
form in heat exchangers in heaters and ventilation may disconnect or
shift to produce this by-product.
CO
toxicity occurs in power outages from improper use of gasoline-powered
portable generators to provide electricity. Generators exhaust from
houseboats and yachts’ propulsion engines can produce CO poisoning.
Cigarette smoke also produces CO toxins in the body.
Many
vague symptoms are warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning including
dizziness, fatigue, vertigo, low energy, blue or pale skin color,
nausea, headaches, sleepiness, chest pain, exhaustion, double vision,
seizures, and sight problems.
CO
is the by-product of burning organic compounds. It is imperative to
purchase carbon monoxide detectors and mount them on ceilings on each
floor of homes, basements, and buildings. These devices are affordable
and cost $25 or less. Sam’s Club sells them in multiples.
A
medicine which can be useful in CO poisoning to prevent death or brain
damage is methylene blue. The drug has a medical history of 100 years.
Emergency rooms may use it for cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Other helpful treatments include oxygen tanks and hyperbaric oxygen
therapy.
Dr.
Timothy Q. Duong, Ph.D. with the University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio has evaluated the drug with fMRI’s and found the
medicine to improve memory. The medication is also prescribed for a
long-term treatment for methemoglobinemia.
For More Information:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202–272–0167
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202–272–0167
Dr. Rebecca Stone ALL RIGHTS RESERVED SpeedyReads.com ©2016
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