Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. Breathing it in can cause sickness and even death.
When you breathe in carbon monoxide, it enters your bloodstream. It mixes with haemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body.
When this happens, the blood can no longer carry oxygen. This lack of oxygen causes the body’s cells and tissue to fail and die.
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in
a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you.
What are the signs of carbon monoxide in a home?
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
headache.
dizziness.
feeling sick or being sick.
feeling weak.
confusion.
chest and muscle pain.
shortness of breath.
How long does it take to show signs of carbon monoxide poisoning?
You may lose balance, vision and memory and even consciousness. This can happen within 2 hours if there's a lot of carbon monoxide in the air. The smaller an animal or person is, the faster they'll be affected. Pets are often the first to show symptoms.
Suspect carbon monoxide is present if:
· Other people in the building become ill with similar symptoms.
· Your symptoms disappear when you go away and return when you come back.
· Symptoms tend to be seasonal – for example, if you get headaches more often during the winter.
· Your pets also fall ill.
Other possible clues of a carbon monoxide leak include:
· black, sooty marks on the front covers of gas fires
· sooty or yellow or brown stains on or around boilers, stoves or fires
· smoke building up in rooms due to a faulty flue
· yellow instead of blue flames coming from gas appliances
· pilot lights frequently blowing out
If your pet is suddenly ill or dies from an unknown cause, check for a carbon monoxide leak.
Gas safety checks should only be carried out by a fully qualified and licensed gas fitter. Keep your family, home, office or rental property safe by calling BJ Plumbing Service SA on +61 431 935 693 to carry out your gas safety check.
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