What are the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning to the brain and the body? How can it affect someones life after recovery?
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Carbon monoxide binds to oxygen transport molecules in the blood and effectively suffocates you internally.
Acute toxicity that is promptly addressed will leave no permanent damage, the broken oxygen transport molecules are replaced over time and you’ll recover to full capacity quickly.
Surviving more prolonged exposure will have effects similar to any other lengthy lapse in oxygen – irreversible damage to the brain.
Mainly, for practical safety, focus onto:
Nausea, headaches, confusion. This is what you get as soon as it depletes your ability to get oxygen in the blood.
Past these early warning, you feel sleepy and weak.
What is happening is that CO bonds permanently to the blood cells. Each cell is taken out of the game until replaced. It takes days to replace the blood cells. You are in danger for days.
If you have ANY of the above symptoms in a confined space, with charcoal, wood stove, gas heating not whatever combustion device: open all windows and move out. Come back only after an hour or so, possibly escorted and only if you practically need it (recover an item or make the place safe aka doust a fire). Place is habitable after you change all the air but there’s no need to rush into again, take a safe approach.
Next to come is you fall asleep and die “drowned”.
First aid: the victim has compromised blood, any further lack of oxygen may kill. Give oxygen to the person, to help the remaining blood cells to capture some. Best would be using oxygen bottles; cold, low altitude air is the best air. Your target is any non contamined open air, low temperature air is better.
Be aware that CO is a very subtle killer. Most people die at night as they have a headache and feel sleepy, they go to bed and never wake up again. The only defense is to know the early symptoms and act immediately.
Remember it takes days to recover, you are at risk and sick for that time. Exercise, work or driving during those days is a bad idea.
Good news, generally it doesn’t give you permanent damage. I mean, if you lack oxygen to the brain your brain is damaged but that’s a very thin line to hit. Slightly less and you escape without permanent damage, a tad more you are dead. CO bonds permanently with the blood so I can’t see a way to starve your brain enough to damage it, and remain alive. As the starving would last days, not minutes. Generally this brain damage happens if you lack oxygen to the brain for few minutes. Past that, brain dies.
-just my health and safety training + firefighting, not a doctor.
Answers here are largely correct. I’ll add the basal ganglia seem to be the most sensitive and this can lead to permanent tremor and movement disorders.
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