The Polar Vortex has made it way to Topeka. You are hopefully staying warm and not having to go outside. But, could that cause you to be sick or worse cause you to go to the hospital?

When you run your furnace or start your car inside a garage to warm it up, carbon monoxide is being produced. It is a gas that has no odor, no smell and could do great harm to you if you are exposed to large doses. In fact, when I was 19, my family had to go to the hospital because the furnace that was inside our house malfunctioned, and caused large amounts of carbon monoxide to go thru the house. My dad and mom both felt sick and went to the emergency room. The doctor did a test of their blood and it had high doses of gas that were being recorded.

So, what can you do to prevent something like this? The folks at the John Tesh Show, which you can hear everyday on Majic, have come up with some great tips to stay safe during cold weather:

• “Don’t leave the rear window of your SUV, van or camper open when you drive- exhaust fumes can get sucked right in. Crack a front window, instead.
• Once a year, have your heating and ventilation systems inspected, including chimneys and flues. Look at the color of the gas flame on your stove or water heater. A hot blue flame produces less carbon monoxide and more heat than a flickering yellow flame. If it’s yellow, the equipment needs to be readjusted.
• Also, don’t burn charcoal inside, even in a fireplace.
• Finally, never use any gas heaters that aren’t vented to the outside, especially in bedrooms. The best way to keep from being poisoned in your own home is to get a carbon monoxide detector. It works like a smoke alarm, and warns if the carbon monoxide levels get dangerously high. “

Hopefully we don’t have to worry about this cold of weather again this season. But if we do, you now are safer and won’t have to make a trip to the hospital.