It is usually a silent and unsuspected killer. Carbon monoxide is a gas formed as a by-product of combustion. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and gives no warning of its presence. Therefore, it can kill before you even know it is there. Carbon monoxide is taken into the body by the lungs through breathing.
Carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from saturating the blood cells and nourishing the body.
Without oxygen-rich blood, the brain, heart, and other tissues will not survive. Smaller amounts of carbon monoxide damage the body. Carbon monoxide is present wherever fuel is burned. At low concentrations, fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease is often experienced. At higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination, disorientation, weakness, headaches, dizziness, confusion, sleepiness, vomiting, and nausea are prevalent.