According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an average of 15,000 people attend emergency rooms across the US with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning every year, with a whopping 87 percent of these requiring treatment.

Unintentional CO exposure accounts for an estimated 500 unintentional deaths in the United States each year. These stats reveal the true extent of this silent killer for the first time.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion in fuel-burning devices such as motor vehicles, gas-powered furnaces, and portable generators.

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Recent high-profile cases have raised awareness of carbon monoxide and encouraged the government to inform the public about safety and prevention.

Dr Helen Webberley has treated many patients with the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and warns of the damage that long-term exposure to the gas can lead to.

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She said: “People with CO poisoning often overlook the symptoms, and undetected exposure can lead to brain damage and death.”

“Everyone must be vigilant to symptoms which include dizziness, headaches, breathlessness and loss of consciousness,” she added.

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