Facts
According to the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental deaths in America. Yet so many people know so little about the odorless, tasteless, colorless gas. And what you don’t know can definitely hurt you. So what is carbon monoxide?
Carbon-monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion produced when fuels like oil, gas, or coal burn. It can be produced by cars, stoves, fireplaces, and water heaters. In short this can occur in your house. Exposure to carbon monoxide produces flu-like symptoms such as nausea, dizzy spells, and fatigue. In many cases, it causes death. In 2006, 88 Michigan residents died of CO poisoning.
The health effects related to CO depend upon its concentration in the blood, which in turn depends on its concentration in air, the duration of exposure, and each individual’s general health. People with cardiac and respiratory conditions, infants, pregnant women, and unborn babies may be affected more severely by carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide combines with hemoglobin (Hb) with an affinity about 250 times that of oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and interfering with oxygen transport, delivery, and utilization.
Analysis of carbon monoxide deaths compiled by the National Center of Health Statistics show the highest death rate from carbon monoxide poisoning occurs in the northern states. The annualized incidence of fatal and nonfatal CO exposures occurred more often during the fall and winter months, with the highest numbers occurring during December (56 fatal and 2,157 nonfatal exposures) and January (69 fatal and 2,511 nonfatal exposures). The annualized incidence were substantially lower during the summer months, with 21 fatal and 510 nonfatal exposures occurring during June had 22 fatal and 524 nonfatal exposures occurring during July.
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