October is Fire Safety Month and it starts off with Fire Prevention 
Week during October 3-9. Part of this month is also to raise awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be deadly if not caught in time.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that has no smell and no color, making it tricky to track. CO can typically be found in fumes from vehicles, engines, stoves, wood burning, and various heating systems. It can slowly accumulate in the area directly around it and poison those in the area who breathe it in.
The symptoms that CO poisoning causes in people do help narrow down the options for a diagnosis. Some signs of CO poisoning are bad headaches, confusion, fatigue, and general nausea. If someone has breathed in considerable levels of CO, it could result in that person falling unconscious or even dying.
CO can be picked up by your body through red blood cells at work, processing the CO a lot faster than the oxygen you would normally be breathing in. Because the cells are replacing necessary oxygen with dangerous CO, your body isn’t getting the oxygen it needs. This can lead to tissue damage if not caught in time.
Anyone is at risk for CO poisoning, but those who are in more vulnerable states of health are at a greater risk. Those who may be more affected by CO are fetuses, toddlers and smaller children, along with those who have cardiac complications (heart disease) or breathing problems such as asthma.
According to the CDC’s fact sheet, 400 people in the U.S. die annually from CO poisoning, while over 20,000 people go to the emergency room for treatment and 4,000 are admitted to the hospital for CO poisoning. Those aged 65 and older are extremely susceptible to succumbing to CO poisoning.
CO poisoning is oftentimes preventable, so look over this list of helpful reminders:
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Have a professional review all of your appliances that burn fuel, especially before the cold weather sets in so that you will be prepared for the heating season ahead
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Refrain from starting your car in your garage and leaving it to “heat up” while you prepare to leave for work at the last-minute. CO fumes don’t need long to accumulate, even if the garage is open
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Never use a gas oven as the heater for your home or burn charcoal in your fireplace
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Ensure that when you use gas-powered engines, you use them outside only. Using equipment such as a chain saw in an enclosed space, like your garage, will send CO into the garage and should be prevented
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If you and more than one person in your family is sharing similar symptoms, like the ones mentioned above, call your doctor immediately. As soon as you suspect CO poisoning, you must get fresh, outside air and leave your house or area where you experience the symptoms
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A good way to remember to see if your fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order is to check them when you set the clocks ahead in spring and set them back in the autumn
