Is it Flu or Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

When you confront with nausea, headache, and fatigue don’t diagnose immediately – it might not be what it seems. So, which one is it – swine flu or carbon monoxide poisoning?

“It can look just like the flu,” said Dr. Carson Harris, Regions Hospital from St. Paul, according to StarTribune.com. The symptoms of monoxide poisoning and flu are very much alike.

Everybody is scared of the H1N1 flu; even doctors can make mistakes – this is one of the reasons St. Paul Fire Department and Regions Hospital started a public alert explaining the differences between the two problems.

Here’s a table that might help you understand better:

The danger gets bigger during the cold season since people use things that work with gas more often. The situation is quite dangerous because the monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and colorless, so you won’t be aware of the problem right away.

In both cases people can die, so try to diagnose the problem as soon as possible. This isn’t risky just for humans – pets can be affected as well.

Consider buying carbon monoxide detectors. Other ways to prevent this kind of poisoning would be to avoid using oven or stove heating; using kerosene is out of the question too; cars shouldn’t be warmed up in the garage.