Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
while in the body/bloodstream

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning while in the body/bloodstream can be so varied and mimic so many common health issues that "making the link" to carbon monoxide exposure as the source of the problem is almost always missed.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning have "tell tale signs" but identifying carbon monoxide exposure as the source of symptoms is not as obvious as it may seem.

When a healthy person is exposed to a low level of CO, they typically begin to have trouble concentrating. Other early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning typically show up as a person becomes somewhat uncoordinated, feels quite tired, and/or has a mild headache.

Then the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning get stronger as flu-like, food-poisoning-like, or alcohol-poisoning-like symptoms: headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, exhaustion, mild incoherence, blurred vision, and brain fog.

The problem is, the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can also have any number of more common causes.

Making the connection to carbon monoxide exposure as the source of "symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning" is much less likely with less obvious cases(the majority of all cases) such as:

• multiple low level carbon monoxide exposures / poisonings within a household, work environment, or vehicle
  
  
• one person with low, moderate, or even a high level of carbon monoxide poisoning

Accurately identifying the link to carbon monoxide exposure as the source of "symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning" is more likely when:

• one person with high or extreme levels of carbon monoxide poisoning is taken to hospital
  
  
• a group of people from the same location are taken to emergency at the same time, all showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

In comparison to other health issues, the awareness and number of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning is low. This commonly results in the wrong diagnosis by health professionals in emergency rooms, clinics, and doctors offices. Health professionals just don't know enough about carbon monoxide poisoning.

Awareness in the public about the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning is also low. Unless the circumstances of poisoning are completely obvious, victims seldom identify the cause of their symptoms.

Tragically, it is quite common for [significant] additional damage to occur to a victim while they are in an emergency room or clinic with elevated levels of carbon monoxide still flowing in their blood stream - something that could quickly and easily be treated by giving them oxygen and/or placing them in a hyperbaric chamber.

Carbon monoxide reacts with hemoglobin (Hb) in red blood cells and forms carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). This is expressed as a percentage of red blood cells carrying carbon monoxide.

The relationship between symptoms, percent carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in the bloodstream, and levels of CO in the air is not precise.

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