There are many cases of poisoning around the globe. Some of them die while others survived with medical help. Poisoning is such a serious case and it can kill you within minutes. They enter the body usually through ingestion, breathing, exposures and bites. However, the most common type is ingestion. Once you see a person lying on the floor and unconscious, you need to seek emergency help right away. In cases like this, it is good if you have the ingested item scattered around the body of the victim. However, what if you do not see what caused the poisoning?
There are some incidences where the victim could not see the poison coming. All of the sudden they just loose consciousness. This is in the case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Constant inhalation can affect the central nervous system and eventually cause disruption in the circulatory system. It is even difficult to diagnose unless toxicology reports show increased levels of Carboxyhemoglobin.
What is carbon monoxide and how do we detect it?
This kind of gas is normally colorless, odorless and even tasteless. Some of our appliances at home usually produce it. On top of that, they are normally present in the body at low levels. Since our ordinary senses could not detect its existence, we can purchase a carbon monoxide alarm and install it in our homes.
Just like any alarms, it can be triggered with increasing levels of the gas. However, it has two indicators before it is set-off: that is time and concentration. Remember that low levels cannot affect you right away. It takes prolonged exposures before it does. On the other hand, greater concentration affects you in short periods. That is why it makes use of time and concentration before the alarm is triggered.
There are special considerations in installing them. They should not be too low and should be at least 5 feet high from the floor. You also need to keep them away from appliances that undergo combustion or places with fire.
Advantage of Having the Device
Having these devices around can really help lessen the incidence of poisoning. Since it is a fact that they can go undetected, every person should have one installed in their homes. Almost all of us are exposed to things that could generate this gas; therefore, we should find ways in order to detect its existence before it reaches a dangerous level. The signs and symptoms are not enough to indicate its existence because they resemble flu-like symptoms. Therefore, a carbon monoxide alarm should do well for you.
What to Do
If the triggering of the alarm occurs together with the appearance of the signs and symptoms, take action right away. You need to open the windows and doors. Providing good ventilation can lower the concentration of gas. You can also do this by taking the person out for fresh air. Cover you mouth and nose if you want to go inside and turn off all appliances that can be the possible cause of incidence. Remember have those equipment fixed once determined. If the person is not awake and breathing, do CPR if you know how. If not, you need to take the person to the nearest hospital to get proper treatment.
Written by : Brian Ayling
