Carbon monoxide poisoning – causes, symptoms, prevention [EXPLAINED]

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Carbon monoxide, commonly known as carbon monoxide, is considered a “silent killer”. Why? Due to its properties, it can only be detected by a sensor. Every year, nearly 100 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning, and about 2 are poisoned. How does carbon monoxide poisoning happen? What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? How to give first aid to a person who has carbon monoxide poisoning? Can this be prevented?

Chad – properties

Carbon monoxide (II), commonly known as carbon monoxide, is a chemical compound from the group of carbon oxides that occur in the atmosphere in the II oxidation state. It is considered a highly toxic substance that is colorless and slightly denser than air at room temperature. Moreover, carbon monoxide is an odorless and flammable gas. The natural source of this substance are volcanic eruptions and natural fires of vegetation.

Carbon monoxide is also produced by human activity as a result of high-temperature technological processes, which mainly use coal and crude oil. Chad is also produced when coal, wood, oil and other fuels are burned with insufficient oxygen (heating devices) and when water vapor is reduced with coal. Due to its properties, it is very dangerous and causes slow death.

If you want to learn more about gas poisoning, check out: Gasoline Poisoning

Chad – how does carbon monoxide poisoning happen?

Chad enters the body through the respiratory system and then enters the bloodstream. In the human respiratory system, carbon monoxide binds very quickly to hemoglobin and other iron-containing metalloproteins, thus blocking the supply of oxygen. This compound is called carboxyhemoglobin in the chemical nomenclature. The combination of hemoglobin with carbon monoxide is much more durable than the combination with oxygen.

The effect of this process is to drastically reduce the transport of oxygen to the lungs and then to the tissues. As a result of carbon monoxide activity, the most sensitive organs to oxygen deficiency, i.e. the nervous system and the circulatory system, are damaged in the first place. If severe poisoning occurs, carbohydrate metabolism is disturbed and multi-organ bleeding occurs.

What does hypoxia in the body result? Read: Hypoxia – Types, Symptoms, Treatment

The causes of carbon monoxide poisoning

The main cause of carbon monoxide poisoning is leaking or faulty heating equipment such as gas and coal stoves. This group also includes devices that are used in rooms without ventilation. Carbon monoxide poisoning also occurs during building fires. This type of poisoning is one of the most dangerous, because then other toxic substances, such as phosgene and cyanide, combine with each other. Carbon monoxide poisoning also occurs in factories and industrial laboratories. The increase in suicidal poisoning, especially with car exhaust fumes, is alarming.

If you want to learn more about the causes of suicide, check out: Suicides – Causes, Types and Stopping Suicide Attempts

Carbon monoxide symptoms

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are not specific and are difficult to recognize. Poisoning can manifest itself in the form of a worse mood and a headache. These symptoms can be worrying when accompanied by dizziness, vomiting, nausea, general body weakness and drowsiness. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning depend on the concentration of CO in the air and the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can also include: shortness of breath, memory impairment, vision problems, palpitations, lack of feeling in the fingers, mental impairment and the first symptoms of parkinsonism, i.e. muscle tremors and “masked” facial expression. These ailments usually appear in poisoning, which was discovered rather late. In severe cases, carbon monoxide poisoning can damage the brain stem; incoherence; speech disorders; thrombotic vasculitis; myocardial damage; kidney and liver.

Carbon monoxide poisoning most often occurs while bathing, which carries an additional risk of drowning due to loss of consciousness. If you start to feel the aforementioned symptoms while showering, leave the room as soon as possible, open the window and turn off the gas heater.

What is worth knowing about possible disorders related to the nervous center? Check: Memory and intellect disorders

How to help a person who has been poisoned by carbon monoxide?

If the symptoms mentioned above begin to worsen, the injured person should be removed or brought to a safe place, preferably outside. In this case, the supply of fresh air is crucial. Then it is worth loosening the clothes of the injured person, undo the buttons under the neck so that he can breathe freely. Another point is calling the emergency services – ambulance and fire brigade. If a carbon monoxide poisoned person becomes unconscious, first aid should be provided. Activities related to artificial respiration and heart massage should be performed until the arrival of paramedics.

How to properly carry out first aid? Read: First Aid. How to give it?

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning?

The best way to protect yourself from CO poisoning is to replace or regularly check heating appliances and gas cookers. When buying or replacing this type of equipment, you should keep in mind that they meet all safety standards. If we are fireplace users, it is worth remembering, especially before the autumn and winter period, to clean the chimney pipes.

Under no circumstances should the ventilation openings be blocked. Leakage of doors and windows in houses or apartments can cause heat loss, but it is necessary for the combustion process and the proper operation of the so-called gravity ventilation. To protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning, it is worth investing in a special sensor that emits sound signals when the level of carbon monoxide in the room is high. This sensor placed close to a gas stove or stove can save a life.

If you want to find out how rooms and spaces should be ventilated, read: How to properly ventilate the rooms?

Carbon monoxide poisoning – treatment, research, side effects

People diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning should have a blood test for carboxyhemoglobin, which is a biomarker of CO exposure. The concentration level of this compound greater than 70% means irreversible changes in the human brain, which are a consequence of hypoxia. It all depends on how long the injured person stayed in the room where the carbon monoxide was released.

Treatment of a person who has become carbon monoxide poisoning can take a long time. Certainly, the first step is to find the cause of the gas leaking and stop the contact of the poisoned person with this substance. Carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to metabolic acidosis or hyperthermia, in which case you will need to consult a pulmonologist. In extreme cases, the victim will have to undergo a blood transfusion.

Side effects of carbon monoxide poisoning may include complications from the peripheral and central nervous system. People who poison themselves with carbon monoxide may have damaged eyesight and smell, and have permanent memory impairment. One of the side effects is also a lowered IQ and loss of speech.

How can antidepressants affect memory? Read: Not all antidepressants protect memory equally

Carbon monoxide poisoning in pregnant women

In pregnant women – especially in the last trimester – carbon monoxide poisoning is particularly dangerous. A mother expecting a baby should take special precautions. Carbon monoxide poisoning at the end of pregnancy may lead to cerebral palsy and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in the baby.

The effect of carbon monoxide poisoning on a developing baby in the womb depends on the month of pregnancy and how long the pregnant woman has inhaled carbon monoxide. The fetus is more likely to be injured when the mother develops multiple symptoms (nausea, headache, breathing problems) or loss of consciousness. This can lead to anatomical defects in the baby, such as abnormal development of the arms and legs, and microcephaly.

Carbon monoxide limits the amount of oxygen that should be delivered to both the mother’s and baby’s bloodstream. Hypoxia can cause permanent damage to the organs of the fetus. Although carbon monoxide takes time to get into your baby’s blood, research shows that it can pass through the placenta. In summary, the higher the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, the greater the risk of complications in the prenatal period, and even pregnancy loss.

For more information on encephalopathy, see this article: Encephalopathy – Causes and Types

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