Carbon monoxide poisoning: what are the symptoms, dangers

Two men died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a housing project in Columbia, SC. Our medical reporter, Rosemarie Beltz, explains what can happen to people if they're exposed to the dangerous gas.

[@lakeysamariewrightphd2085]

It's interesting! Can't smell the odorless gas but can sense a gas leak. I'm so glad I smelled the gas leak in the place where I am now. Thank God for insight.

[@TELEVISIONARCHIVES]

Gas companies add a harmless chemical called mercaptan to give it its distinctive “rotten egg” smell. If they didn't you wouldn't even know you had a Gas leak.

[@Johnnyy832]

Gas company adds a smell to it for you.

[@ilae.williams7675]

Headache, chest pains...I was terribly ill...noticed when I went to work, I felt better...had gas appliances...light bulb moment! Noticed pilot light of gas oven was out, it is a terrible, terrible feeling: headache, chest pains, hard to describe the terrible pain...

[@gardensofthegods]

I went through it years ago and I was really ill

[@davidvickers8425]

Was tuning mower idle for too long exhaust in face not much wind, sudden headache pain in chest, fuzzy thoughts, felt sick. Stumbled away from mower. Sit in shade.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

Your doctor won’t know. Just go sit outside for 30 minutes and if you’re fine until you go back in the house, it could be CO. If you tell your doctor you feel fluish and are throwing up there’s no way they’ll think of CO. Get a bunch of monsters. They’re cheap. Aldo a brand new house can leak just as likely as an old place. Are your pets sick too? Do guests get sick?

[@gardensofthegods]

Please tell me what it means when you say get a bunch of monsters they're cheap ... ?

[@cindys9491]

@@gardensofthegods I think they meant monitors...?

[@caydenbangbang5266]

This just came in my house and I was like “dOoD”

[@centralcal6604]

Buying a detector today

[@NickatoyaHackedbyAzurX]

Do they have a lab that can come check your home

[@alanskinner7031]

I had a friend that was working in his garage with a gas powered welder, Yup! it Killed him. His wife found him dead about six hours later.

[@spn221]

What would a blood test show if you have been exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning?

[@Whossabj]

This video gives allot of studying for me

[@samuelcunningham6181]

Oh great another thing to watch out that might kill me

[@albertdonnay8295]

Home CO alarms that meet UL2034 standard required by most states could have saved these men's lives -- if they were working as intended. But they are only meant to save lives and explicitly do warn against or even display lower levels of exposure that cause CO poisoning. When they display "0", the actual level may be anywhere from 0 to 29ppm, and they won't alarm until over 70ppm. The WHO air quality guideline for CO exposure is 4mg/m3 average (about 3.5ppm), and EPA NAAQS for CO is 9ppm average. The only way to really be protected against CO is to get a personal portable monitor that displays from 1ppm and keep it with you 24/7. They cost about $100-$200 and are commonly worn by workers who have exposure to CO every day. You can also use these to measure CO in your exhaled breath, which is cheaper, faster, more accurate and of course less painful than a COHb blood test.

[@386choppa]

Check your Newport cigarette

[@robertshrewsbury5067]

I get CO2 gas build up a lot, because I am on Oxygen and I am an X-smoker with a crust on/in my lungs. This causes CO2 gas to build up and make me ill and accompanied with severe insomnia. Finally I found the a good 500 MG of (time sustained) Niacin takes it out in about 15/20 minutes.

[@jaleahgang9597]

I’m in this boat 🛶

[@RedOpp-]

Blue suv almost toke out that car @3:51

[@HawkqOjOp]

This is trying to be informative but it's really not. First, most of their grammar is terrible. Second, most detectors do not detect at low enough levels, only when it becomes deadly. The ones that detect tiny levels are very expensive, and those prices must come down so everyone can buy them. Third, I had my older furnace checked regularly but it was not until a very good company slid a camera down into the exchange heater only to discover a crack that was old enough to have rusted on the edges. I kept a photo of it. I asked them what that means. All 3 said simultaneously, "slow carbon monoxide poisoning." I said "OMG." They all look at me and said "what?" I replied, "Sh*t, that explains everything!" I described the symptoms and they said "yep." Estimated, I was getting small levels of carbon monoxide poisoning for 3 or 4 years. Starting the first day of the new furnace (old one turned off immediately, marked legally unsafe, and new one installed 6 hours later), many odd symptoms began to subside gradually. Over $10,000 in tests and 3 years of treatment from top advanced medical center, 6 specialists and various others, none diagnosed it but one miracle medication helped. In hindsight, now I know why. The drug opens blood vessels. Got a new "free" CM detector with the new furnace that they said was industrial strength in that it detects TINY levels, giving me different alarms according to levels. They told me the cost is about $300+ so enjoy it while you can. During the time to diagnose, one doctor laughed and said your oxygen is fine, it's 97%. I said it's usually 99%. Ignored. The only other major clue they missed was the brain scan. White matter lesions, about 40 of them. They said many have those and it's normal over time, so ignore those. Erm, past ones did not have any. i can list symptoms for readers if interested, but my guess is they vary for different people. Get the expensive detectors, and if not possible, at least have the heater exchange examined inside by a professional on maintenance calls. Also have professionals check gas water heater piping - if not done properly, also a risk. They also re-piped all of my water heater connections.

[@sandiegan3788]

What is the brand of the detector you received? Thx

[@gardensofthegods]

Wow this is really informative and I hope you post this on everything I vid and channel you can find weather talking about this topic or where people are describing symptoms but the doctors are not finding out what the problem is . I had slowed carbon monoxide poisoning years ago and it is no joke and oh my God I was so sick but if it wasn't for my friends begging me and begging me to come out to their home on New Year's Eve I probably would have died in my sleep at one point . Within about a half hour of being out the door I felt better than I had in weeks . Felt really ill when I woke up the next day in my bed . There's a lot more to this story but I was just really lucky that I was able to get the fire company to come out and hear it turned out the person next door on the other side of the wall who wasn't licensed was actually welding and somehow messed up the gas line . The fire company said the place was ready to blow up I mean they're all these fire trucks and cops there and all the neighbors looking . The weird thing is normally by about 4 or 5 in the afternoon I would go in my living room have a nice hot cup of tea and like a scented candle but had not been doing that because I was sick and bedridden . Also I would normally light up the cigarette but felt too sick to smoke . When my neighbor showed up I begged her to open the door the front door which I rarely ever used and I was standing right behind her and we got hit with such a storm wave of that gas odor that we both ran as fast as we could to the curb and stood in the street . Immediately the fire company put these massive fans and opened all the windows and the guy next door gotten to a hell of a lot of trouble for almost blowing up the place ; he could have killed us all .

[@gardensofthegods]

What brought me here is that now I have the same sickening headache and pain as I did years ago from the carbon monoxide . Last night I went for a ride in the passenger seat of a friend's 1948 GM and I had never been in his car before but I did not at first want to say anything to him but I felt like I was getting hit in the face constantly with gas fumes . Then we were at a waterpark for about a half-hour and all that water in my face made me feel great and refreshed but then driving home again more of the gas fumes in my face and making me sick . Stupid me I said nothing as I did not wish to insult him the first time I'm in his cute little car which I love but I did finally tell him when we spoke again after I got home and he asked me if I was sure and I said yes and that my throat was burning . I told him I was surprised he couldn't smell any fumes so I told him I have a very good nose but that I think anybody would have been smelling this and it would have made them sick . It scares me that he didn't smell the fumes and he is an older person

[@1960pyl]

I hope she did not get paid, for this information. We could have gotten more info, by googling.

[@yunonufc7970]

doctors doesnt know the symptopms i had alfa romeo stelvio it had carbon monoxide poisoning my system horrible for 3 years i spend over 15000 dollars no one knew even the dealership didn't check the catalytic converter which was damaged i almost died in the car iam lucky iam still alive

[@Relaxmind1461]

Hello dear i also fell dizzy in car in morning time and fast heartbeat numbness and doctor saying its anxiety. I feel in morning time only in car and after if i drive car at evening i will be fine. May be if the car is parked for 10 hourse the gas will acumulate in car

[@ameermccoy]

If carbon monoxide positioning is permanent then it's over

[@ttsgdksl]

Is cough part of the symptoms

[@christianc.6276]

My knowledge of carbon monoxide poisoning is that the carbon monoxide molecules have greater attachment to your red blood cells than oxygen. In that case, your body suffers the lack of oxygen necessary to normal functioning of all your organs; brain, heart, lungs included. So while i'm inclined to agree that a cough could be possible from CO poisoning, it's likely to be caused from a chronic or long term exposure to larger than safe amounts of carbon monoxide. In an acute carbon monoxide poisoning situation, i think you will suffer lack of oxygen in your brain causing you to pass out and subsequently suffocate, before coughing or having a coughing fit--and suspect that it's CO poisoning. Tldr; I think coughing may be a sign of CO poisoning, but you'll probably pass out first.

[@ttsgdksl]

@@christianc.6276 thanks man, great explanation. It makes total sense as an acute exposure would affect the brain before the lungs very True!!!

[@ilae.williams7675]

....for me, it was terrible chest pains and terrible headache, noticed the pilot light of my gas oven was unlit--that was the lightbulb moment....

[@christianc.6276]

@@ilae.williams7675 Thank goodness you had the presence of mind in that emergency to realize something has gone wrong, and leave the contaminated area in search of better air. I fear others may only exacerbate the situation by failing to realize the symptoms and/or cause, and then remain in the home, or quicken their breathing rate and depth. Thank you for sharing your experience Ila.

[@graciejones8423]

Can animals be affected

[@cindys9491]

Yes

[@Johnson-lj5qw]

Change it to amharic

[@xMrAmity]

Watching from Australia and im just impressed you guys have so many ways to die it's just impressive maybe find an alternative fuel source 🤣 electric appliances instead of gas problem solved your welcome America

[@nmarrs8539]

1:32

[@rodessa0683]

Harley Quinn

[@Degenpilot]

i would devour this dr in the red shirt devour

[@tyronetucker3093]

mask cause this

[@muffinhaveyouhadamuffintod2850]

No

[@MossheadNedd]

@@muffinhaveyouhadamuffintod2850 it does if you wear it too long

[@Trd2020]

Lmfao dumbass

[@muffinhaveyouhadamuffintod2850]

@@MossheadNedd no

[@jfvs1988]

Cap

[@ilae.williams7675]

Headache, chest pains...I was terribly ill...noticed when I went to work, I felt better...had gas appliances...light bulb moment! Noticed pilot light of gas oven was out, it is a terrible, terrible feeling: headache, chest pains, hard to describe the terrible pain...