You can't see it, hear it, smell it, taste it or feel it. But carbon monoxide gas can poison or even kill you without you ever realizing it's around.

Winter is when it does the most damage. Despite warnings this byproduct of combustion kills an estimated 2,000 people (not counting suicide) and sickens 10,000 others in the United States each year. You could prevent this from happening to your family by purchasing a carbon monoxide alarm here.

Too often, the flu-like symptoms that are early warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are mistakenly attributed to a flu virus, and victims are sent back home, or to work, to breathe more carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide forms when hydrocarbons burn incompletely, such as in charcoal grills, fire places, oil and gas appliances and vehicles. In the air, carbon monoxide is readily absorbed through the lungs. It can also be formed in the liver from methylene chloride, a common paint remover and solvent component is easily absorbed as vapor through the skin and lungs. This is the reason these products have labels warning people to use them only with adequate ventilation and gloves.

Carbon monoxide inhibits the bloods ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain. When CO is inhaled, it combines with the oxygen carrying hemoglobin of the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin. The affinity that carbon monoxide has for hemoglobin exceeds oxygen's attraction by about 230 times. Once combined with the hemoglobin, that hemoglobin is no longer available for transporting oxygen. How quickly the carboxyhemoglobin builds up is a factor of the concentration being breathed (measured in parts per million or PPM) and the duration of the exposure.

Aggravating the effects of the exposure is the long half-life of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. Half-life is a measure of how quickly levels return to normal. The half-life of carboxyhemoglobin is approximately 5 hours. This means that for a given exposure level, it will take about 5 hours for it to drop to half its current level once the exposure is terminated.

As levels of carboxyhemoglobin rise to 10 percent or above, symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning start to appear. First headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, all easily mistaken for a touch of the flu. As levels rise, carbon monoxide poisoning victims may experience shortness of breath, visual problems, rapid pulse, confusion, chest or abdominal pain and cramps. The most severe cases of carbon monoxide poisoning conclude in loss of consciousness and death.

Small (including unborn) children, those with chronic heart or lung diseases, and the elderly are especially sensitive to the harmful effects of carbon monoxide. They are among those who are least likely to respond correctly to the first signs of exposure.

Some victims of carbon monoxide poisoning can experience long-lasting, even permanent, neurological and psychological damage. Recent studies have documented permanent problems that may not show up for months after an apparent recovery.

In the more advanced poisoning cases the likelihood that neuropyschiatric damage will result increases. Some effects of the damage include; sudden personality changes, impaired memory, Parkinson-like symptoms, learning problems, incontinence, dementia and even psychosis. Up to 3/4 of those affected recover within a year from these effects. For the remainder of those affected, the damage is permanent.

It is important to be sure that all fuel burning appliances are working properly. Furnaces should be inspected and chimneys cleaned annually and kept in good repair. Gas stoves must be properly adjusted and burners kept unclogged and fumes should be vented to the outside (the flame should be blue, not yellow). Gas ranges or ovens should be used only for cooking, not to heat a room.

Charcoal grills, should never be used indoors for cooking or heating.

Never idle your car inside the garage, even if the door is open. Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can accumulate in just 10 minutes in a closed garage.

Many people succumb unintentionally to carbon monoxide poisoning when they sit or sleep in a closed car with the engine running to keep warm.

Install one or more carbon monoxide detectors in your home as well as in your car. Safety experts suggest using an audible alarm installed in a hallway or near the bedrooms. Newer models are less likely to produce false alarms than ones purchased five or more years ago.

If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, open doors and windows, call 911 and ask for the fire department, and get out of the building. If you develop symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning see a physician immediately. Be especially suspicious of carbon monoxide poisoning if multiple members of the household develop similar symptoms at the same time or if a pet in the house dies. If relatively advanced poisoning is diagnosed your doctor should order a neuropsychiatric examination.

Finally, the source of the carbon monoxide must be located and eliminated by a licensed professional before anyone reenters the building.

If your home does not yet have a carbon monoxide alarm, Purchase one as soon as possible. You can buy one online with your credit card on our secure server.