carbon monoxide vs carbon dioxide poisoning

Maintenance: Make sure your vehicles, boilers, chimneys, generators and space heaters are inspected and maintained by a qualified technician at least once a year. Keeping safeĬarbon monoxide poisoning is deadly, but it can also be easily avoided. However, officials are still investigating and are yet to confirm the cause of these tragic deaths. This is especially dangerous if generators, charcoal burners or barbecues are used in confined and poorly ventilated spaces such as tents and bars which allow CO to build up in the space with deadly consequences.Įarly media reports suggest that carbon monoxide caused the deaths of 21 young people at a tavern (club) in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province in June. This frequently occurs when wood, coal and charcoal fires are left to smoulder, or petrol, gas and kerosene appliances (such as boilers and space heaters) are not maintained properly. So how can we avoid being poisoned by this gas? Carbon monoxide is produced at high levels when fuels aren’t burnt correctly. Higher doses result in loss of consciousness, long term heart and brain damage and death. So low level poisoning is often overlooked. These are quite general and are easily confused with viral infections, food poisoning or just being tired. The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches or dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, tiredness, chest and stomach pains and visual problems. This means it blocks the haemoglobin’s ability to bind oxygen and limits the body’s ability to move oxygen around the body.

Carbon monoxide also binds to haemoglobin, and it sticks over 200 times stronger than oxygen.

Normally haemoglobin in your blood binds oxygen as it passes through your lungs and then releases it where it is needed in the various organs of your body. Author provided Carbon monoxide poisoningĬarbon monoxide poisoning results from the way it interacts with proteins that carry oxygen around your body. Carbon dioxide (top) and carbon monoxide (bottom).

Carbon monoxide vs carbon dioxide poisoning