Carbon monoxide (CO) is colorless, odorless, and extremely deadly. Thankfully, there are ways to protect your family against this dangerous gas. Read through this guide in order to keep your family safe from this silent threat.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

As we have mentioned, CO is a virtually undetectable gas, and it can originate from a number of different places in your home. For instance, a car running in an attached garage, a malfunctioning heating system, or a plugged chimney can all lead to a toxic level of CO in your house.

Know the Symptoms

Since there is no human sense that can detect carbon monoxide, it is smart to be aware of the symptoms of CO poisoning. Low to moderate levels of CO poisoning can result in difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. While this can also be a sign of the flu, if everyone is suffering from similar symptoms, it is important to get people out of the house and into fresh air immediately. Higher concentrations of CO result in mental confusion, vomiting, unconsciousness, and eventually death.

How to Prevent CO Poisoning

Aside from being alert to the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, it is an excellent idea to invest in a carbon monoxide detector. These sensitive devices work like fire alarms and trill loudly when the concentration of CO in the house approaches unsafe levels. While it ultimately up to you, remember that a CO detector is the only definite way to know how much CO is in the air. If your CO detector goes off, move everyone out of the house and call emergency services.

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