Carbon monoxide poisoning happens after an individual inhales carbon monoxide gas, which is odorless, tasteless, non-irritating and has no color. This can make it extremely difficult for people to detect. It has been called the "silent killer" due to the fact that it can kill someone with them having any knowledge of it. Although there are several different side effects that the gas can create, many people mistakenly identify them with the common flu or illness. It can be hard to treat and diagnose once a person has been highly exposed and become very ill. The best hope an individual has is to treat their condition very seriously if they have been in contact with carbon monoxide and get medical help right away. Unfortunately, for some people the risk for exposure is always present. This has to do with the occupations that they hold. Although there are not many occupations that pose a risk for carbon monoxide exposure there are a couple that are always at risk. The highest risk job It has been proven that firefighters are at the highest risk for CO exposure. The fact that they have to breathe the smoke from fires and expose themselves to high levels of CO has made it the leading cause of poisoning for them and is considered an occupational hazard. Even prolonged exposure to low levels of CO can cause a firefighter to show symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The toxins from CO can cause harmful side effects from this minimal exposure over long periods of time. Various side effects can range from painful weakness in the body, lung problems, heart disease, stroke, brain damage and heart attack. CO can sometimes also lead to forms of dementia. Firefighters are often exposed to carbon monoxide mostly due to the carbon-containing products, fuels, or wood products that burn during a fire. All of these factors combined make for a carbon monoxide nightmare waiting to happen. Firefighters also have to be quite active when extinguishing a fire. This can allow for more of the carbon gases to pass through to the lungs because the firefighters are breathing deeper and therefore they take in more air. This can result in a firefighter collapsing without any warning due to overexposure to the gas. Firefighters need to be aware that carbon monoxide is always present and in just about all fire environments. The levels of exposure can at times be high enough to cause severe illness right away and sometimes even premature death. Firefighters have found that the use of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) has greatly limited the levels of carbon monoxide exposure. Self-defense measures The newest device issued to firefighters in order to detect carbon monoxide is called the "Pocket CO." This device can detect even the lowest amounts of carbon monoxide and helps to warn the firefighters of potential danger before things get too bad. The instrument can be worn on the firefighters' clothing and is relatively small. It can also be placed in any doorway or entrance where a fire is burning. The "Pocket CO" will monitor the CO levels and if any are detected, an alarm will sound warning the firefighters of the danger. The device helps to manage, minimize and mitigate any exposure that they might come into contact with. Firefighters are at a higher risk for danger of CO poisoning than any other occupation. It is essential that they have the tools needed to protect them against the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. With a simple push of a button from the "Pocket CO" or the use of the SCBA, they have a greater chance of avoiding the hazards of CO. Fire departments all across the nation have also started programs to educate firefighters on the risks of CO exposure. Programs like these are critical in helping experts shed new light on CO fatalities with firefighting. One program called "To Hell and Back" has helped researchers discover that firefighting fatalities thought to be related to lack of oxygen or heart attacks have actually been linked directly back to carbon monoxide poisoning. Firefighters need to have knowledge of what carbon monoxide poisoning is and what the symptoms are. This is the only way to ensure that they can perform their job safely and not have to worry about the potential threat of carbon monoxide levels. The use of new devices created to help detect the harmful vapors will eliminate the risk of harmful side effects and perhaps even death in some cases. Knowledge is power and firefighters need to understand what carbon monoxide poisoning is and the risks that they are taking when they are on the job. The only true way to eliminate the risk of CO poisoning completely is to know how to avoid it altogether.
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