Carbon monoxide gas, which is invisible and odorless, can be fatal. He can kill people in their homes as they sleep, filtering unnoticed by generators. It can accumulate inside the closed garage walls, which spreads from the cars left in the running by the residents in search of heat or power in a storm.
Thursday was confirmed by another fatality with illegal carbon monoxide poisoning. Miller Gardner, the 14 -year -old son of the Yankees Brett Gardner’s longtime player, died of carbon monoxide poisoning while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica. The authorities said that contamination from the machinery near their room in their resort could have been fault.
Although it is preventable, carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the main causes of deaths related to poisoning in the United States.
Why is carbon monoxide dangerous?
The breathing in carbon monoxide causes the accumulation of gas in the blood and is linked to hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen from lungs to tissues in the rest of the body.
When carbon monoxide binds hemoglobin, “kick the oxygen” the protein and prevents tissues and organs from obtaining oxygen they need to function correctly, said dr. Jason Rose, head of pulmonary medicine, critical therapy and sleep at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Exposure to carbon monoxide can also lead to inflammation and cellular damage to important organs, that is to say the heart and brain, said dr. Anthony Pizon, head of medical toxicology at the Medical Center of the University of Pittsburgh, who said she generally treated a couple of patients with carbon monoxide poisoning every month.
A person exposed to high concentrations of gas for a long period of time can lose knowledge and stop breathing, leading to death, said dr. Rose. The inhalation of toxic gas can also cause the fall of blood pressure or can induce potentially fatal heart problems, he added. And those who survive carbon monoxide poisoning can encounter long -term neurological problems, including worse memory, problems with motor skills and symptoms of anxiety or depression, said dr. Rose.
People may not realize that they have been immediately exposed to carbon monoxide, said dr. Rose, because some of the symptoms – headache, fatigue, nausea and vomiting – may appear similar to the beginning of the flu or another disease. Since the gas is colorless and odorless, Dr. Pizon said, it can also be difficult to know if there is an exhibition.
And while gas is considered highly toxic to everyone, Dr. Rose has said that children, pregnant women, older adults and people with pre -existing chronic diseases such as heart diseases are particularly vulnerable to get sick after an exposure. So they are those with breathing or anemia problems, which occur when people have already lowered the levels of red blood cells or hemoglobin.
How are you safe at home?
If you think you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, immediately look for fresh air and call 9-1-1, said dr. Pizon. The firefighters can come to your home and help to determine where the gas comes from. And if you are experiencing symptoms, immediately look for a closest emergency room treatment.
“This is not something you go to your main doctor,” said dr. Rose.
In the emergency room, a doctor will give you pure oxygen through a fan or a face mask, which will help your body eliminate carbon monoxide, said dr. Rose.
Any appliance that uses natural gas and burning home, such as stove, oven, hairdryer or gas generator, can potentially lose carbon monoxide and cause poisoning if there is no correct ventilation, said dr. Pizon. Make sure that all appliances burning the fuel are ventilated outside so that carbon monoxide cannot be accumulated inside, added. And if you are not sure that your appliances are ventilated safely, call a technician to inspect them.
Many car engines also release carbon monoxide, so don’t leave your car in operation, especially in a closed garage connected to your home.
Finally, make sure to install carbon monoxide detectors, which can be purchased in any home improvement store, on each floor of your home, said dr. Pizon. And he changes the batteries at least once a year. You can also buy a portable carbon monoxide detector to be used in the hotel and accommodation during the trip.
Most of the poisonings are reported in winter.
More than 400 Americans die every year due to implementing carbon monoxide poisoning that is not linked to the fire, according to the centers for the control and prevention of diseases.
Poisoning are often reported during the winter or in serious storms in which power is turned off and people turn to generators, ovens and cars for heat.
In 2021, when a icy weather system brushed parts of the United States, at least two people died and about 100 were sick in Houston from carbon monoxide poisoning and four other people died in Oregon, the authorities said.
In 2022, three people died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a defective water heater in an Airbnb rental unit in Mexico City.
In December, 12 people were found to death from suspicious carbon monoxide poisoning in a ski area in the mountains of the Caucasus in Georgia. They were found in an area above a restaurant, where they were employed. An energy generator had been connected and left inside after the restaurant lost power, said the police.