Dear Doctor Column, March 21, 2005
Carbon Monoxide Detector Guards Family, Home
Question:
Do I need to have a carbon monoxide detector in my home?
Answer:
Yes. In a January 2005 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide (CO) causes more than 15,000 Americans to get sick every year and kills about 500.
The untimely death of tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis (who ranked fourth in the world in 1977) of CO poisoning in 1995, helped focus attention on one of the leading causes of death by poisoning in the United States.
CO is a toxic gas produced when carbon fuels (including gasoline, coal, and oil), known as hydrocarbons, are burned. Because these fuels are used to power cars, heat homes, and run machinery, CO produced by incomplete combustion is an ever-present hazard. In addition, CO is tasteless, odorless, colorless, and nonirritating, and the early effects of inhaling it are subtle. As a result, it can do serious damage before you are even aware you have been exposed to it.
CO poisoning is like a form of slow suffocation, robbing the body of oxygen by combining far more readily than oxygen with the oxygen-carrying substance in red blood cells called hemoglobin. Consequently, CO replaces oxygen needed by body tissues. In addition to limiting the body's ability to get enough oxygen, CO poisoning directly inflames the nervous system and impairs circulation of blood in the brain. Infants, the elderly, and people with anemia or with a history of heart or respiratory disease are especially susceptible to the effects of CO.
The most common sources of CO are improperly functioning gas and oil furnaces, wood stoves, gas appliances, pool heaters, and engine exhaust fumes. Other sources include cigarette smoke and paint removers containing methylene chloride, which is one reason why paint remover and other solvents have warning labels to use them only with adequate ventilation. Cracked heat exchanges on furnaces, blocked chimneys or flues, and disconnected or blocked appliance vents can allow CO to reach living areas. Inadequate fresh air supply to a furnace also can allow CO to be drawn from the furnace into living spaces when you turn on an exhaust fan or clothes dryer.
Often, the first symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to those you experience with the flu — fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and muscle aches. As the CO level in the blood rises, victims may experience shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, difficulty concentrating, confusion, visual problems, chest or abdominal pain, and muscle cramps. People with heart disease can experience severe chest pain or a heart attack because the heart muscle cannot get enough oxygen. High levels of exposure can lead to coma, convulsions, and even death.
However, unless exposure is extensive enough to cause deep coma, most of these symptoms subside with time. But the more advanced the poisoning, the more likely it is that brain damage will result, causing impaired memory, learning problems, sudden personality changes, incontinence, Parkinson-like symptoms, dementia, and even psychosis.
One clue you may be affected by CO is if everyone in the same building, including pets, experience similar symptoms. Another clue is if your symptoms improve when you leave the building for a day or more, then reappear when you return.
When shopping for a CO detector, do not select solely on the basis of cost. Non-governmental organizations, such as Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL), can help you make an informed decision. Look for UL certification on any detector you purchase.
CO alarms should be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends one CO alarm be installed in the hallway outside bedrooms in separate sleeping areas of the home. Make sure furniture or draperies cannot cover up the alarm.
If the CO detector alarm goes off, leave the house, leaving doors opened. Check to see if any member of the household is experiencing symptoms of poisoning. If they are, get them out of the house immediately and seek medical attention. Tell the doctor you suspect CO poisoning.
If no one is feeling symptoms, ventilate the home with fresh air, turn off all potential sources of CO — your oil or gas furnace, gas water heater, gas range and oven, gas dryer, gas or kerosene space heater, gas logs, and any vehicle or small engine. Have a qualified technician inspect your fuel-burning appliances and chimneys to make sure they are operating correctly and nothing is blocking fumes from being vented out of the house.
UAB safety experts offer these tips to prevent unintentional CO poisoning:
- Have a qualified service technician check your home's gas or oil heating system and gas appliances annually.
- Have all fuel-burning appliances and furnaces, wood stoves, and fireplaces installed by professionals.
- Check chimneys, flues, and vents every year for blockages, corrosion, and loose connections.
- Use gas or kerosene space heaters only in well-ventilated rooms. Never use them overnight or in a room where you are sleeping.
- Buy space heaters only with the UL seal.
- Never use a charcoal grill or hibachi inside a home, closed garage, recreational vehicle, or tent.
- Have your car's exhaust system checked for leaks each year.
- Replace mufflers at recommended intervals.
- Never sit in a parked car with the motor running and the windows closed, or run a car in a closed or attached garage.
- Sleep, whenever possible, with the bedroom windows cracked. Even a few inches can help prevent CO poisoning.
For more information on CO poisoning and CO detectors, visit the following Web sites:
Safety experts at the Children's Hospital Regional Poison Control Center — 933-4050 or 800-292-6678 — or at UAB's Injury Control Research Center — 934-2861 — can provide more information about CO poisoning and how to prevent accidental exposure.