Carbon monoxide is a gas that has no odor and color. This gas generally comes from smoke from stoves and motor vehicles as well as burning garbage. When inhaled, carbon monoxide can damage internal organs and cause various health problems.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas that comes from burning gasoline, wood, charcoal, propane, or other fuels. In everyday life, this gas is contained in the fumes of cars, motorcycles, gas stoves, stoves, and lanterns. Carbon monoxide is also found in air that is polluted by air pollution.
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas because it can make people who breathe it experience various health problems. In severe cases, carbon monoxide poisoning can even lead to death.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is Hard to Detect
Given that carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, detecting and avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning is often difficult.
Moreover, carbon monoxide poisoning does not cause any typical symptoms. A number of symptoms that generally appear even tend to be the same as mild flu symptoms which often do not require special treatment because they can heal on their own.
A person exposed to carbon monoxide may notice that something is wrong in his body, but he may not be able to describe and not know why the complaint occurs. People who are poisoned by carbon monoxide while sleeping or drunk can even die before experiencing symptoms.
This is what then makes carbon monoxide poisoning known as silent killer or a silent killer.
Consequences of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
When inhaled, carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream and attaches to hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide.
This makes the blood can't supply enough oxygen to the body's organs or get rid of carbon dioxide properly. Without enough oxygen, organ cells will die and organ functions cannot run properly.
Carbon monoxide can also act directly as a poison that damages organs. This gas poisoning can cause a wide variety of symptoms, depending on the organs affected and the amount of carbon monoxide inhaled.
If carbon monoxide is inhaled in low amounts, the symptoms that appear are usually similar to those of food poisoning and the flu. The difference is, carbon monoxide poisoning does not cause fever.
The following are symptoms that can be experienced if you are exposed to low amounts of carbon monoxide:
- Dizzy
- The body feels weak suddenly
- Hard to breathe
- daze
- Stomach pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chest pain
The above symptoms will usually disappear gradually when you move away from the source of exposure to carbon monoxide. Conversely, if you are constantly exposed to this gas, the symptoms that appear can be even more severe.
The following are the symptoms you can experience if you are exposed to large amounts of carbon monoxide:
- Lost balance
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Vertigo
- Difficult to control body movements
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness or fainting
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a condition that requires immediate treatment. If treatment is slow, a number of very dangerous complications can arise.
In pregnant women, carbon monoxide poisoning that is not treated immediately has the potential to cause fetal death in the womb. Meanwhile, in adults and children, complications of this condition can include permanent brain damage, severe heart problems, and even death.
First Aid and How to Prevent It
When you experience symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, you need to immediately move away from the suspected carbon monoxide source and get out into the open.
If someone faints, has difficulty breathing, or can't even breathe at all, apply compression techniques cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR the person and ask for help from others to immediately contact the nearest hospital.
Since carbon monoxide can be sourced from frequently used machinery and equipment, it is important to know how to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Some simple steps that can be taken are:
- Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home, work, or car.
- Make sure your home ventilation is working properly, especially in rooms with gas appliances.
- If you park your motorbike or car in the garage indoor, make sure the garage door is open before you start the vehicle.
- Avoid using stoves with chemical fuels indoors.
- Avoid placing an electric generator that is running in the house.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a dangerous condition and is often difficult to detect. Therefore, do not delay seeing a doctor immediately when you feel the symptoms, especially if you are often in an environment that has the potential to produce carbon monoxide gas.