CowboyPrincess
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I'm usually a very light hearted person but after the experience I had yesterday, I wanna remind people about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. I also included the symptons of CO poisoning. Be aware of them and don't ignore them. It might save your life.
I opened the store that I manage at 8:45 yesterday morning. Everything seemed fine. About 10:30 I started feeling weak, dizzy and had a headache. I just figured it was because I hadn't had breakfast. By noon I was really feeling sick and having trouble focusing my eyes and I had body aches. I decided that I really needed to eat at that point and called Pizza Hut to deliver lunch to me. Thirty minutes later, a customer walked into the store and the first thing they said to me was "Do you have a gas leak in here?". I told them I didn't think so and that I didn't smell anything. Since I hadn't left the store since I got there, I was unaware that I had a natural gas leak and that the CO levels were rising. From what I've been told, you wouldn't notice it when the leak starts slowly and you are exposed to it for a long period of time. They suggested I call 911. I propped open the front door and called 911. After I told them that my customers smelled gas and told them how I felt, they said they would have the fire department stop by and check it out. Within 10 minutes I had 3 Fire Engines, 2 police cars and 2 Ambulances outside my store. They block off the street in a block radius around my store. The firemen walked in and immediately told me I needed to leave, they smelled gas also. They put on HazMat suits and oxygen tanks before going back in. They didn't like the way I looked and had a Paramedic check me out. My BP was 188/114, my arms started burning, my fingers and toes were tingling, and I started having trouble concentrating and couldn't speak right. Next thing I know, I'm on the way to the hospital in an Ambulance. I spent 6 hrs on 5% Oxygen, had arterial blood gas test, blood test, chest xrays, ekg and was kept on a heart monitor. The doctor said I had dangerous CO levels in my blood; my lungs, throat and sinus' were inflamed, and was lucky a customer came in when they did- I may not have been alive. The fire departments CO sniffer told them that the levels in my store were very dangerous.
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What is carbon monoxide (CO) and how is it produced in the home?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. Appliances fueled with natural gas, liquified petroleum (LP gas), oil, kerosene, coal, or wood may produce CO. Burning charcoal produces CO. Running cars produce CO.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:
Headache
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Dizziness
Many people with CO poisoning mistake their symptoms for the flu or are misdiagnosed by physicians, which sometimes results in tragic deaths.
For more info on CO poisoning - causes, effects, etc. go to Consumer Product Safety Commission website
I opened the store that I manage at 8:45 yesterday morning. Everything seemed fine. About 10:30 I started feeling weak, dizzy and had a headache. I just figured it was because I hadn't had breakfast. By noon I was really feeling sick and having trouble focusing my eyes and I had body aches. I decided that I really needed to eat at that point and called Pizza Hut to deliver lunch to me. Thirty minutes later, a customer walked into the store and the first thing they said to me was "Do you have a gas leak in here?". I told them I didn't think so and that I didn't smell anything. Since I hadn't left the store since I got there, I was unaware that I had a natural gas leak and that the CO levels were rising. From what I've been told, you wouldn't notice it when the leak starts slowly and you are exposed to it for a long period of time. They suggested I call 911. I propped open the front door and called 911. After I told them that my customers smelled gas and told them how I felt, they said they would have the fire department stop by and check it out. Within 10 minutes I had 3 Fire Engines, 2 police cars and 2 Ambulances outside my store. They block off the street in a block radius around my store. The firemen walked in and immediately told me I needed to leave, they smelled gas also. They put on HazMat suits and oxygen tanks before going back in. They didn't like the way I looked and had a Paramedic check me out. My BP was 188/114, my arms started burning, my fingers and toes were tingling, and I started having trouble concentrating and couldn't speak right. Next thing I know, I'm on the way to the hospital in an Ambulance. I spent 6 hrs on 5% Oxygen, had arterial blood gas test, blood test, chest xrays, ekg and was kept on a heart monitor. The doctor said I had dangerous CO levels in my blood; my lungs, throat and sinus' were inflamed, and was lucky a customer came in when they did- I may not have been alive. The fire departments CO sniffer told them that the levels in my store were very dangerous.
***************
What is carbon monoxide (CO) and how is it produced in the home?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. Appliances fueled with natural gas, liquified petroleum (LP gas), oil, kerosene, coal, or wood may produce CO. Burning charcoal produces CO. Running cars produce CO.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:
Headache
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Dizziness
Many people with CO poisoning mistake their symptoms for the flu or are misdiagnosed by physicians, which sometimes results in tragic deaths.
For more info on CO poisoning - causes, effects, etc. go to Consumer Product Safety Commission website
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