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Carbon Monoxide

Every year in the United States, hundreds of people die of carbon monoxide poisoning and thousands more are hospitalized.

Carbon monoxide is a gas that is produced when fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil are burned. In only minutes, deadly fumes can develop in enclosed spaces. When you breathe carbon monoxide, it enters the bloodstream and cuts off delivery of oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.

The first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may be headache, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and nausea. As more of this gas is inhaled, it can cause unconsciousness, brain damage and even death.