Daily HealthBeat Tip

Carbon monoxide season

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I�m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Carbon monoxide is the cat burglar of chemicals. It can sneak into your house from a furnace, stove or fireplace that isn�t working right.

Your senses can�t tell you this gas is there � it can�t be smelled or seen. But it can kill. And does. About 500 people a year suffocate on carbon monoxide. Another 15,000 wind up sick and in the emergency department.

And that can be avoided. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Consumer Product Safety Commission say people need to have a professional inspect heating systems that burn fuel. The CDC�s Dr. Howard Frumkin:

"That technician should look not only at the furnace, but at water heaters, and any other gas- oil- or coal-burning appliances every year." (seven seconds)

And have a carbon monoxide detector with good batteries.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: December 12, 2006

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