CO Poisoning

It is widely suspected that tens of thousands – possibly even hundreds of thousands - of people in the UK are being adversely affected by household appliances such as gas fires, cookers, water heaters or any one of the myriad appliances that produce a flame.

We have all heard of tragic deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, but a growing number of health professionals believe these are just the very tip of the iceberg and that there is a huge number of people of all ages and backgrounds suffering from long term, low-level exposure – pernicious poisoning.

"How many times have you heard people say they 'just don't feel right' – lacking energy, unable to concentrate, headaches – and they can't pin it down. Time after time, their GP will diagnose a virus, and send them home with some antibiotics. The sad fact is that CO poisoning is often misdiagnosed as anything from 'a touch of flu' to sick building syndrome" said Lynn Griffiths, who founded CO Awareness following the long-term poisoning of her family and the loss of her husband.

"Every winter, we'd all start feeling poorly and it wasn't until we replaced our gas fire that we discovered what the problem was. Doctors and hospitals always said it was a virus and instructed us to go home and keep warm in front of the very fire that was slowly poisoning us. I've since discovered the we're hardly unique – I hear the same story time and time again."

It's estimated that some 18 million households in the UK have at least one gas appliance, yet few of us have them regularly serviced and even fewer have installed CO alarms.

Dr Ed Walker, who runs a medical blog devoted to the problem and who advises both colleagues and CO Awareness, said that "Many physicians are simply not aware of carbon monoxide being the cause of so many common symptoms. If a fireman sees two or three people from the same household suffering the same symptoms, he'll immediately think of CO poisoning. A doctor or nurse on the other hand, will immediately think of infection. It's hardly surprising, because it's the result of their training and the symptoms unfortunately mimic other conditions. Headache, general nausea and tiredness, and in children gastro-intestinal symptoms such as sickness and diarrhoea."

Carbon monoxide is odourless, tasteless and invisible. The long term effects can be devastating, and include a huge range of debilitating and sometimes deadly conditions ranging from skin and eye problems through to organ failure and brain damage. Memory loss and an inability to concentrate are particularly common, and the charity thinks that low-level CO poisoning may well be the cause of a great deal of behavioural problems in children.

With contributions from the medical profession, the energy industry, local authorities, policy makers and politicians, the documentary will explain the problem and assess its possible dimensions. It will also follow the progress of a joint project being undertaken during 2011 by the Merseyside Fire and rescue Service and Coventry City Council to survey 30,000 homes in Coventry and Liverpool in a bid to identify the extent of the problem.

The documentary will also feature contributions from victims, including the Welsh rugby referee who is now wheelchair bound, his life and career having been effectively destroyed by CO emanating not from his home, but from his neighbour's.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

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