UAE: A gas heater can kill you, here's why

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. Breathing it in can make you unwell, and it can kill if you're exposed to high levels, says UK’s NHS.

In numbers: Every year, at least 430 people die in the US from accidental CO poisoning, while about 50,000 visit the emergency department each year due to accidental CO poisoning.

When too much carbon monoxide is in the air you're breathing, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with the CO, making carboxyhaemoglobin. This prevents oxygen from reaching your tissues and organs. The lack of oxygen causes the body’s cells to die.

Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include: Dull headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness.

Why is it dangerous for people who are asleep – wouldn’t they wake up? Carbon monoxide poisoning can be particularly dangerous for people who are sleeping or intoxicated. People may have irreversible brain damage or even die before anyone realizes there's a problem; the gas is colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.

Depending on the degree and length of exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause permanent brain damage; damage to your heart; fetal death or miscarriage; death.

Install carbon monoxide detectors. Put one in the hallway near each sleeping area in your house. Check the batteries every time you check your smoke detector batteries — at least twice a year. If the alarm sounds, leave the house and call 911 or the fire department. Carbon monoxide detectors are also available for motor homes and boats.

Open the garage door before starting your car. Never leave your car running in your garage. Be particularly cautious if you have an attached garage. Leaving your car running in a space attached to the rest of your house is never safe, even with the garage door open.

o Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. Use portable gas camp stoves outdoors only. Keep your fuel-burning appliances and engines properly vented. These include: space heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, water heaters, fireplaces, portable generators, wood-burning stoves, car and truck engines.

Use caution when working with solvents in a closed area. Methylene chloride, a solvent commonly found in paint and varnish removers, can break down (metabolize) into carbon monoxide when inhaled. Exposure to methylene chloride can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.