by Dr. Adam Seigers, Medical Health Contributor
Carbon monoxide poisoning results from exposure to carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Its production is a result of combustion from any fuel source.
Common sources include oil, gas, kerosene, propane or wood.
With the cost of home heating fuel, many people are insulating their homes.
This makes it even more imperative that all appliances that produce carbon monoxide are working properly.
Medically speaking, carbon monoxide is deadly because it binds to hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying component in blood, about 230 times more readily than oxygen.Once attached to the hemoglobin molecule carbon monoxide effectively starves muscle tissue of oxygen.
In the processing of commercial meats, carbon monoxide is often used for slaughter and is responsible for the bright, cherry-red colored meat we see in supermarkets.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can range from mild flu-like symptoms such as headaches, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vertigo and confusion to severe brain damage and death.
Chronic exposure has been implicated in depression, confusion and memory loss.
Cigarette smoking increases carbon monoxide in the blood stream and is one of the most important causes implicated in chronic exposure.
A blood or breathing test can be performed to quantify carbon monoxide exposure.
While not readily available in most hospitals, these tests are often available at some academic institutions.
Once poisoning is suspected, and even without knowing the level of exposure, the affected individual should be moved to fresh air.
With mild poisoning this is often the only treatment that is required. In some cases an oxygen chamber called a hyperbaric chamber will be used to more quickly displace carbon monoxide from the blood.
In either case it is very important to avoid carbon monoxide exposure and to contact a health care provider as soon as exposure is suspected.
For more information, please contact your primary care provider.
— Dr. Seigers is a physician with Faxton St. Luke’s Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) Boonville Medical Offices on Rte. 12.
