Carbon monoxide poisoning kills hundreds each year. Here’s how to stay safe.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that takes hundreds of lives each year, and makes even more people sick — but there are steps you can take to help keep yourself and your family safe.

More than 400 Americans die annually from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room and more than 14,000 are hospitalized, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Poisoning occurs when breathing in CO fumes prevents the body from getting enough oxygen, which can harm the brain, heart and other organs, according to Johns Hopkins. 

Here’s what to know to protect yourself.

What causes carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned, meaning accidental poisoning can occur when home appliances and systems like furnaces, kerosene heaters, stoves, lanterns and generators produce fumes that people breathe in. 

Most CO exposures happen in the winter in cold climates because of unvented space heaters in the home, a common source of CO poisoning. Cases sometimes occur after hurricanes or other storms when people are relying on generators for emergency power that may not be vented properly.

Where to put carbon monoxide detector?

While CO poisoning can be fatal, it is also preventable with the use of CO detector devices. Detector can range between $20 for basic models to $100 for digital, low-level detectors.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends each floor of the home have a separate CO detector. 

“If you are getting a single detector, place it near the sleeping areas and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up,” the EPA notes.

In addition to detectors, the CDC, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins and other public safety advocates have a number of other recommendations, including:

Car safety: Don’t run a car in an enclosed area like a garage. Even if the garage door is open, don’t start a vehicle if the garage is attached to a home.

Furnace and fireplaces: Keep fireplaces clean and in good condition, make sure no debris is blocking the vents or chimney. 

Fuel-burning space heaters: Make sure heating systems, water heaters, and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances are cleaned and serviced every year, and make sure they’re in well-ventilated areas. Johns Hopkins suggests opting for electrical space heaters, which pose no danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gas stoves and ovens: Never use these for heating a room. 

Portable generators: Never use generators inside a home or garage, even if doors and windows are open. Instead, place them outside more than 20 feet away from any windows, doors or vents. 

Carbon monoxide symptoms

Symptoms of CO poisoning include:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Chest pain
• Confusion

“If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms,” the CDC warns.

Anyone can be at risk for CO poisoning, but infants, the elderly and people with chronic heart disease, anemia or breathing problems are more likely to get sick, according to multiple health organizations. 

If you are experiencing these symptoms, get to fresh air and seek emergency care immediately, the organizations advise. 

Travel carbon monoxide detector

It’s also important to be aware of carbon monoxide while traveling, since some accommodations, from hotel rooms to home rentals, especially abroad, may not have appropriate safety measures in place.

In 2022, multiple Americans in two separate incidents died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while traveling, bringing a spotlight to the issue. Three tourists were staying at an apartment in Mexico City, reportedly booked through Airbnb, while another group was at a Sandals Resort in the Bahamas.

A spokesperson for Sandals Resorts confirmed to CBS MoneyWatch at the time that Sandals has carbon monoxide detectors in all rooms across its facilities. Airbnb started offering hosts free carbon monoxide detectors for units that don’t already have the devices installed. Airbnb said it encourages its hosts to install detectors but does not require them. Guests can check if a rental has detectors by checking the “safety devices” section of the listing. 

Hyperbaric medicine specialist Dr. Andrew Moffat previously told CBS MoneyWatch he always travels with a portable detector.   

“I bring my own carbon monoxide monitor with me everywhere I stay,” he said. Moffatt cautioned that survivors of CO poisoning can suffer debilitating long-term effects like chronic anxiety and cognitive issues, and that many detectors don’t go off until CO levels are so elevated that they damage the brain.

“The best ones are low-level digital monitors that are generally good to have in your home,” he said.  

contributed to this report.