Carbon monoxide levels in the body / blood stream. What is normal? What is dangerous?

Low carbon monoxide levels in the blood stream (COHb) and cellular tissues are normal and necessary for proper cellular functioning.

However there is not uniform agreement as to what "normal" levels in the blood stream are within different environments.

Any carbon monoxide levels above "normal" is considered dangerous.

• Health effects can start to become noticeable in people once carbon monoxide levels (COHb) reach 2.5% in the bloodstream.
  
  
• Non-smokers living away from urban areas have "normal" carbon monoxide levels in the blood stream of 0.4% to 1.0%.
  
  
• Carbon monoxide levels of 1% to 5% may be considered "normal" if a person lives in a busy urban or industrial setting.
  
  
• Carbon monoxide in cigarettes causes a smoker to typically have levels of 5% or more.
  
  
• Otherwise "healthy" heavy smokers seem to be able to tolerate carbon monoxide levels in the blood stream (carboxyhemoglobin) of up 10%+ without obvious damage; however, this puts them at greater risk of damage and symptoms and after effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  

What do you have to say? Click here...

What's your name?


Where are you from? (optional)


What's the title for your comment?


Comment:




Please enter the Captcha code:

so like its 12 yrs later! will i ever be normal again?

Patty Jo from baton rouge, la

i mean like i thought id be happy when i could do all of my adls (activity of daily life ) n well now i can dress bath toliet feed myself but i\\\'m not ! n i can ! so like now what? ok ok i understand that its all probably just a mind set ! or is it ?

so like its 12 yrs later! will i ever be normal again?

Patty Jo from baton rouge, la

i mean like i thought id be happy when i could do all of my adls (activity of daily life ) n well now i can dress bath toliet feed myself but i\\\'m not ! n i can ! so like now what? ok ok i understand that its all probably just a mind set ! or is it ?

so like its 12 yrs later! will i ever be normal again?

Patty Jo from baton rouge, la

i mean like i thought id be happy when i could do all of my adls (activity of daily life ) n well now i can dress bath toliet feed myself but i\\\'m not ! n i can ! so like now what? ok ok i understand that its all probably just a mind set ! or is it ?

Carbon monoxide and ALS

Bonita from Philadelphia

My brother has ALS(Lou Gehrig's Disease) and has a high level of carbon monoxide in his blood,is that from the disease or something else ?

Carbon monoxide

Donna from Indianapolis

We have a carbon monoxide detector in our house and it registers 246. Is this normal?

Robin

Interesting. I wonder how altitude affects CO levels in the body?

What do you have to say? Click here...

What's your name?


Where are you from? (optional)


What's the title for your comment?


Comment:




Please enter the Captcha code:

Return to About carbon monoxide or top of Carbon monoxide levels in the body and bloodstream: What is normal? What is dangerous?