Salt Lake City, UT – Several recent cases of carbon monoxide poisoning are a tragic reminder that carbon monoxide can kill you.
Its suspected carbon monoxide killed two people from Colorado died over the weekend camping with a heater in their tent in Cache County. In another case in Sevier County, two people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after using a boat cover to escape the rain.
Both cases can serve as a warning to take extra precaution with carbon monoxide.
ABC 4 talked to the Director of Utahs Poison Control, she said carbon monoxide poisoning can cause some serious consequences.
“It gets into your body, displaces oxygen, causes hypoxia and causes death of cells especially in the brain,” said Barbara Crouch, Director of Utah Poison Control.
Here are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Headaches, nausea, dizziness, overall confusion, and sometimes people think they have the flu. If you experience any of these symptoms, and you think it’s related to carbon monoxide, the U.S. Product Safety Commission recommends you get outside where you can breathe fresh air immediately. It also may be a good idea to go to a neighbor’s house or use a cell phone to call the fire department and report what happened.
As for what causes carbon monoxide poisoning, Crouch said any machine that’s spits out smoke or gas that’s not properly ventilated can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
“It’s important to be aware of those sources of carbon monoxide and to use them properly outdoors in a well ventilated area not in an enclosed tent or in a garage that’s shut,” said Crouch.
That includes things like your BBQ grill, a generator, your car or boat engine, and a propane or kerosene heater. Any time you use one of these things in an enclosed space poison control experts said the amount of carbon monoxide begins to build up in that area, and doesn’t have anywhere to go. If you leave that engine or source of heat burning long enough the concentration of the carbon monoxide in the air can kill you.