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Introduction to Glider Flying > Introduction to Glider Flying > Medical Factors Associated with Glider Flying > Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
One factor that can affect your vision and
conscious-n e s s in flight and poses a danger to self-launch
glider pilots is carbon monoxide poisoning. Since it attaches
itself to the hemoglobin about 200 times more easily than does
oxygen, carbon monoxide (CO) prevents the hemoglobin from carrying
oxygen to the cells. It can take up to 48 hours for the body
to dispose of carbon monoxide. If the poisoning is severe enough,
it can result in death. Carbon monoxide, produced by all internal
com-bustion engines, is colorless and odorless. Aircraft heater
vents and defrost vents may provide carbon monoxide a passageway
into the cabin, particu-larly if the engine exhaust system is
leaky or dam-aged. If you detect a strong odor of exhaust gases,
you can assume that carbon monoxide is present. However, carbon
monoxide may be present in dan-gerous amounts even if you cannot
detect exhaust odor. Disposable, inexpensive carbon monoxide
detectors are widely available. In the presence of carbon monoxide,
these detectors change color to alert you to the presence of
carbon monoxide. Some effects of carbon monoxide poisoning include
headache, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, and/or loss
of muscle power. Anytimeyou smell exhaust odor, or any time
you experi-ence these symptoms, immediate corrective actions
should be taken. These include turning off the heater, opening
fresh air vents, windows and using supplemental oxygen, if available.
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