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What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is often called the silent killer because it's invisible to the senses. It has no taste, odor, or color, so you may not know if it's present in your home.
CO is the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States; it causes approximately 2,100 deaths in the U.S. each year according to The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Where does it come from?
Carbon monoxide is produced by many common fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ovens, dryers, water heaters and space heaters. CO sources also include fireplaces, charcoal or gas grills and wood burning stoves.
If an appliance is not installed correctly or fails to work properly, CO can back up into the home, reaching dangerous levels that can cause injury or even death. Vehicles or other internal combustion engines such as generators running in an enclosed space, can also cause CO poisoning.
Incidents of CO poisoning are on the rise as many modern houses are more airtight. Homeowners are aware of the cost of heating drafty homes and have taken steps to seal up windows, doors and other areas. There often can be less fresh air coming in and not as many pathways for polluted air to escape.
While research shows that CO poisoning usually happens during the colder months, an incident can occur anytime and anywhere. Storm-related power outages, vehicles left running in a garage, or malfunctioning gas dryers all can cause CO poisoning during the warmer months.
How do I know if I have a problem?
If you or your family are exposed to high levels of CO you may experience flu-like symptoms, but without a fever. You may have a severe headache, feel dizzy and experience sleepiness, nausea, weakness and disorientation. Because
there are many potential causes for these types of symptoms, people often don't know that they are suffering from CO exposure.
A CO alarm is the only safe way to find out if carbon monoxide is present in your home. You can protect your loved ones by installing CO alarms in your home.
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