Be Careful Of Carbon Monoxide

Mid-American-EnergyNorthwest Iowa — Recently a family in Buena Vista County became sick with carbon monoxide poisoning after the recent heavy snows blocked the exhaust of their high-efficiency furnace.

Ruth Comer of MidAmerican Energy says carbon monoxide is so dangerous because you can’t smell or taste it.

She says carbon monoxide poisoning kills more than 400 Americans each year.

Comer says one of the things you can do to protect yourself is have your heating system checked each year.

She says that every home has smoke detectors to alert the residents in case of fire, but smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should go hand in hand.

Comer says that if you use a generator when the power goes out you need to be especially careful about where you locate it.

In addition, she says never bring outdoor cooking equipment inside to cook, don’t leave your oven door open for heat, and under no circumstances should you leave your car running in your attached garage, even if the overhead door is wide open.

Comer says the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often easy to ignore, because they somewhat mimic those of the flu.

She says if everyone in your home shows these symptoms, but lack a fever, you may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, in which case you need to get out of the house into the fresh air as soon as possible, and then call 911.

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