The Quiet Killer
Haiku — CO-Poisoning
cloaked odorless me, slyly tortures, depletes you, quietly kills you.
This quiet killer kills nearly 500 people in the US and 60 people in the UK yearly. From 1979 to 1988, carbon monoxide poisoning caused more than 56,000 deaths in the United States, from which more than 25,000 were suicides. That means carbon monoxide killed more than 30,000 people in 10 years. It is estimated to cause more than 50% of fatal poisoning cases in industrialized nations.
The situation in developing countries is much worse. Gas geyser is one of the cheapest ways to get warm water in cold days. As most of the family can only afford the geyser but not the maintenance and regular professional inspections, this silent killer is killing more people than ever.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. It is usually produced from the incomplete burning of carbon-based compounds. In common households usually, the furnaces, generators, charcoal grills, stoves, and vehicles are responsible for the production.
The symptoms of CO-poisoning are usually flu-like. Starting from light headache, which eventually worsens, it makes one dizzy, sick to the stomach and tired. Difficulty breathing and confusion usually follow. Poisoning with a very high amount of carbon monoxide can lead to convulsions and death. The severity of the symptoms depends on the level and time of exposure.
Pregnant women, children and the elderly are prone to more severe symptoms.
The poisoning with carbon monoxide is a medical emergency and you should call either the poison center or go straight to A&E if you’re exposed. The treatment depends on the severity of poisoning but always includes oxygen therapy.
This can be easily prevented with the following measures:
1. Install CO-Detectors near every sleeping and living areas. Make sure you check it regularly.
2. Get professional inspectors to see and evaluate your furnaces regularly.
3. Try to use portable generators as far as possible from living and sleeping area and never use it inside your house, not even in the garage.
4. Do not use a charcoal grill inside an enclosed room.
5.Install an extractor fan in your kitchen.
If you liked this article, you may want to read others.
Anish Lamichhane is a medical doctor from Germany. He has his interests in medical oncology (cancer medicine), psychiatry (mental health medicine), palliative care and digitalization of health care. He likes to present health stories in a non-traditional way with poetry and health education pieces. Subscribe if you don’t want to miss out a monthly newsletter with new selected stories.