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Symptoms of Carbon monoxide poisoning

The most common symptoms of mild CO poisoning are headache, feeling sick (nausea) and dizziness. You may also feel tired and confused. Some people are sick (vomit) and have abdominal pain.

CO poisoning is sometimes confused with the flu because it has similar symptoms. However, CO poisoning doesn’t cause a high temperature as flu does. If several people in the same building develop flu-like symptoms without a temperature and you think it could be linked to a CO leak, call the HSE Gas Safety advice line on 0800 300 363 for advice (freephone service) and see your GP.

The longer someone breathes in carbon monoxide, the worse the symptoms will get.  They may lose their balance, vision and memory, and eventually lose consciousness. This can happen within two hours if there’s a lot of CO in the air.

Symptoms can occur a few days or months after you’ve breathed in carbon monoxide. Symptoms that come on later include confusion, loss of memory and problems with coordination. People with mild symptoms usually make a full recovery, but between 10 and 50% of people with serious poisoning can have long-term problems.

People with heart or breathing problems, babies and small children, pregnant women and pets can be affected by CO poisoning more quickly than others in the household and may be the first to show symptoms. If your pet suddenly becomes ill or dies unexpectedly (not related to age or an existing condition), you should investigate a possible carbon monoxide leak – the smaller the animal or person, the faster CO affects them.

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