Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Essay

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Every so often, a story on the news will be shared about someone who has died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The thought of this actually happening to yourself or someone you know is a scary one and not so unrealistic. Widely known as the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide has no odor, no color, and no taste. Without a detector, it is difficult to tell if high levels of carbon monoxide are existent. If the early signs of high carbon monoxide levels are not detected, people who are subjected to these high levels are likely to lose consciousness and possibly die (New York State Department of Health, 2014). Approximately 170 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States a year along with many individuals who are hospitalized because …show more content…

These symptoms include dizziness, loss of consciousness, chest pain and chest tightness, headaches, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, fatigue, and muscle weakness (“Carbon Monoxide Poisoning”). Additionally, it has been shown that carbon monoxide poisoning may actually occur sooner in people who are more susceptible such as the elderly, young children, people who have a history of lung or heart disease, and individuals who are at high altitudes. Moreover, for individuals who already have CO blood levels that appear to be elevated, such as smokers, carbon monoxide poisoning may occur at a faster rate than for those who do not already have these high levels.
If caught in time, there’s a chance that CO poisoning can be reversed. Unfortunately, even if an individual does recover from carbon monoxide poisoning, there is still a high chance that they will have permanent damage to certain parts of their body that require high amounts of oxygen, such as the brain and the heart. Additionally, carbon monoxide poisoning presents a high risk for fetuses and overall poses substantial reproductive …show more content…

Carbon monoxide detectors measure carbon monoxide levels over time and give individual’s adequate warning when they could be at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning (“Carbon Monoxide Detector”). Specifically, these detectors set off a loud alarm to alert the individuals in the area that carbon monoxide levels have risen and the area could be unsafe, allowing them to leave the area before something serious occurs. Carbon monoxide detectors are an efficient way to monitor the levels of carbon monoxide within the workplace in order to avoid poisoning. Before a person buys a carbon monoxide detector, there are several features that should be checked before they purchase one in order to ensure that their detector is efficient. It is important to see whether the detector is a plug in or is battery operated, how much the replacement cost is, how sensitive it is, if it has good memory, how reliable the company they are buying it from is, what it’s reset features are like, and overall how well it functions. Individuals can either buy hard-wired, plug-ins, or battery powered detectors. Battery powered detectors are very basic and are a common choice. However, it is very important to make sure that the batteries are working and to change them when necessary. There are man types of alarms and various features that come

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