Natalie Nasatka, a Delaware resident, narrowly avoided tragedy thanks to her Apple Watch's SOS feature. On December 29th, while battling fatigue and blurry vision, she instinctively used the watch to call for help. This quick action proved life-saving, as she later discovered she was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Nasatka woke up at 8 AM feeling unusually tired. After canceling appointments, she drifted off on the couch. The early warning signs, coupled with her Apple Watch's intervention, ensured her swift rescue by emergency services.
"It was extremely scary. I ended up losing consciousness. I was feeling extremely exhausted. My vision was getting blurry," Natalie told CBS News.
"When I heard the firefighters yell out 'fire department' and they yanked me out of bed, I just started crying and saying, 'I want to live. I want to live,'" she said.
"It is a lack of oxygen that affects the body. There are certain things that become irreversible. The heart can be damaged. Once the brain has been without oxygen for too long, there can be irreversible symptoms," Dr Lynn Farrugia, an emergency department physician, said.
"The carbon monoxide was confirmed because the fire department monitor read 80 parts per million in the apartment, which is extremely high," she said.
She thinks the gas leak came from a faulty heater, which is one of the leading causes of carbon monoxide poisoning in the winter.
What is carbon monoxide, and where is it found?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide, or "CO," is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you. CO is found in fumes produced any time you burn fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, or furnaces. CO can build up indoors and poison people and animals who breathe it.
What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as "flu-like." If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.
