The Effects of Carbon Monoxide From Cigarette Smoking

The Effects of Carbon Monoxide From Cigarette Smoking Addiction Nicotine Use The Inside of Cigarettes Print The Effects of Carbon Monoxide From Cigarette Smoking By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on October 06, 2016 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD Updated on January 08, 2020 Joseph Devenney/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use The Inside of Cigarettes After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking-Related Diseases Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, and odorless gas that is produced when incomplete burning of carbon-containing fuels occurs. It is present in indoor and outdoor air in varying amounts from things like vehicle exhaust, gas stoves, wood-burning stoves, furnaces and  cigarette smoke, which  can contain high levels of carbon monoxide.   Carbon Monoxide in the Human Body When carbon monoxide is breathed into the lungs, it binds with hemoglobin in red blood cells to make carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) which is then transported into the bloodstream. Once this happens, oxygen cannot bind with receptors on the same cell. And because CO is much faster at binding with hemoglobin than oxygen (about 200 times faster), when CO is present in the lungs, it wins the spot on red  blood cells. This process diminishes the oxygen-carrying capacity in the bloodstream.?? Carbon monoxide is quick to connect with red blood cells but is slow to exit the body, taking as much as a day to be exhaled through the lungs. An abundance of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream starves the body of oxygen and in the worst cases, can cause death.?? Carbon Monoxide in a Smokers Body The normal level of COHb in the bloodstream from environmental exposure to carbon monoxide  is less than one percent.?? For smokers, factors like brand, how many cigarettes are smoked  and the amount of time between cigarettes can cause  COHb saturation in the blood to be much higher.?? A pack a day smoker can have a  3% to 6%  COHb level in the blood,  two packs a day, 6% to 10%, and three packs a day, as much as 20%. The health effects of CO saturation in the blood above 1%  can cause detectable physical symptoms, such as:?? Increased heart rateReduced tolerance for exerciseHeadache and visual distortions can occur at high levels of CO saturation Lack of oxygen in cells also forces the heart to work harder to distribute oxygen around the body, making CO a major contributor to heart disease, including heart attacks and atherosclerosis.?? Secondhand smoke may also contain high levels  of CO, so non-smokers who breathe in  ETS  will  have increased levels of CO in their blood also. The Biggest Smoking Risk Isnt Lung Disease Can Smoking Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?   Yes, it is possible to suffer CO poisoning from cigarette smoking if a large number of cigarettes are smoked in quick succession in an enclosed space.?? For most smokers though,  symptoms of too much CO in their bloodstream, like a racing heart, headaches, and nausea  will get their attention and cause them to slow down on the smokes enough to not need medical help. In one documented extreme case,?? a woman made a trip to the emergency room at her local hospital because she felt dizzy and had a headache. Blood work revealed an elevated level of carbon monoxide in her blood. Her home was checked for a carbon monoxide leak and none was found.   A week later she returned to the hospital with the same symptoms. This time, the carbon monoxide in her blood was nearly 25%. Its no wonder she felt so bad. She was a heavy smoker of over two packs a day and had smoked numerous cigarettes in a short period of time. The doctor treated her with oxygen and she recovered, but the only way  to solve her problem for the long term was to quit smoking. Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Breathing low levels of CO can cause: FatigueIncreased chest pain in people with chronic heart disease In otherwise healthy people, inhaling higher levels of carbon monoxide may cause flu-like symptoms (with no fever) such as: HeadachesDizzinessWeaknessSleepinessNauseaVomitingConfusionDisorientation At very high levels, exposure to carbon monoxide will cause loss of consciousness and death, so it is important to seek medical attention if you experience any of the symptoms above. A Word From Verywell Carbon monoxide is just one of many hazardous chemicals in cigarette smoke. To date,  more than 7,000 chemical compounds, 250 of which are known to be poisonous and upwards of 70 that have been identified as carcinogens are known to be present in cigarette smoke.?? If you are still smoking, its time to resolve to quit. Dont fear smoking cessation. Others have done it successfully. You can too. Reasons Why You Should Quit Smoking