As winter weather gets colder and the thermostat is turned up, the risk of carbon monoxide exposure increases as well.

Students living off campus in apartments and houses run the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide leaks can occur in housing that is heated with gas furnaces.

Lauri Dusselier, health promotions supervisor at the Thielen Student Health Center, said carbon monoxide can be a serious health risk.

“There is always a risk when there is a furnace in the house,” she said.

Dusselier said exposure to carbon monoxide reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Effects of exposure include headaches, confusion, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, loss of consciousness and possibly even death.

The seriousness of effects “depends on the level of carbon monoxide, the length of exposure, and the health of the individual,” Dusselier said.

If exposed, Dusselier said, fresh air is needed to get rid of the carbon monoxide in the blood. Depending on the level of carbon monoxide, simply opening a window may be enough, but it is better to leave the building.

In severe cases patients can be treated with a hyperbaric oxygen treatment. This helps force the carbon monoxide out of the blood.

Dusselier said it is a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector in a house or apartment heated with gas but not to solely rely on it.

“[It’s] not a substitute for maintenance of appliances,” she said. “[Carbon monoxide detectors] are not considered to be as reliable as smoke detectors.”

“Since carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible, it’s hard to tell if the alarm is false or an emergency,” Dusselier said. “It is important to purchase a quality detector.”

Kate Bruns, communications specialist for the Department of Residence, said carbon monoxide is not a problem for students living in the dorms.

“The chances are unlikely because we heat with steam,” she said.

The Department of Residence doesn’t have a policy concerning carbon monoxide because “it is not an issue,” Bruns said.

The city of Ames does not have a policy regarding carbon monoxide detectors, said Mike Fry, housing inspector for the city.

“We have never addressed it because it isn’t a widespread problem,” he said.

Fry said it is up to tenants to buy a detector. The fire department can also test a house that is suspected to have a carbon monoxide leak.

While carbon monoxide leaks in Ames are not a big problem, Fry said people “should at least be cautious.”