When a member of your family becomes sick, it is sometimes scary. When they have poisoning from something from inside of your home, it is something you need to have looked into immediately. But how do you know when it is coming and what the problem is? Household appliances and chimneys can be dangerous if not used and taken care of in the proper way. If you have any questions about your chimney, call the professionals at Coopertown Services today!
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide is one of the most dangerous gases found in your home that your body can react to. The bad part is that you cannot see or smell the gas so it can affect you before you are aware it is present. The toxins in the gas fight with the already present oxygen levels in your blood stream to cause symptoms that are similar to a cold including nausea, fatigue, dizziness and headache. As symptoms worsen you may feel chest pains before it eventually leads to fatality.
What should you do if you sense CO in your home?
If you or the people around you begin to develop these symptoms, you should evacuate the area immediately and call in a professional to check out the space. Even if you stop what is causing the leak, the room will still need time to air out. It is then important to go visit a doctor to see what has gotten in your system to be diagnosed. Most small cases will be treated in office, however extreme cases will require hospitalization and being put on oxygen until levels are back to normal.
How can you prevent CO from harming the people of your home?
It is important to have your chimney sweep and inspection once a year, or as advised by your technician so that the draft is not changed and the gases are not backed up. Now you can buy alarms that you can spread throughout your home to let you know when levels are high. When connected, they can alert the entire house at once. These are not the same as smoke alarms, so make sure both are properly tested and replaced as needed