Carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke as evidenced in a recent encounter that’s been widely viewed on social media about just how sneaky the lethal gas can be.
TikTok creator Dasia (@dasiadoesit) shared that for about six months they didn’t realize a carbon monoxide leak was causing severe symptoms. Dasia’s video has amassed more than 878,000.
In the video, which was posted on May 14, Dasia explained that they could not drive “longer than an hour” without “having to pull over on the side of a road” to take a nap.
@dasiadoesit Rip to the cells that didnt make it because it took so long to figure this out due the capitalist in my brain gaslighting me into thinking i was just lazy and needed to work harder at my sleep routine. #thelongnight #fyp #blackgirltiktok #carproblems ♬ original sound – dasiadoesit
Dasia mentioned that during a recent trip to Nashville, they felt “horrible” while sitting in traffic for an extended amount of time. Dasia said that they experienced drowsiness, a headache and nausea.
“Come to find out that my car has been leaking carbon monoxide into the cabin,” Dasia revealed. “This entire time I thought that I was just a sleepy girl, and I’ve been killing myself.”
In the caption, Dasia wrote that they had assumed these symptoms were caused by a lack of sleep.
In a follow-up video, Dasia shared that other passengers could feel the effects as well. Dasia mentioned that they recently traveled with their two cats, one of whom does not travel well. During this trip, Dasia’s cat “didn’t make a peep,” which Dasia suspected was due to the carbon monoxide leakage.
In an email interview, Dasia told the Daily Dot that people should understand the extent of this issue.
“People should know there’s a difference between being a sleepy girl and going gently into the good night,” Dasia said. “A lot of people didn’t even know it was a possibility for your car to be poisoning you.”
Dasia explained that they did not realize that the issue was caused by the vehicle until the symptoms became too severe to ignore.
“This last time I drove my car it felt like I was drunk,” she said. “I’ve been sleepy before, but it was never as bad as this time. When I would get out the car, I would feel better. When I got back in, I would feel worse. I was slurring sentences and forgetting words.”
Many comments in Dasia’s initial video expressed concern.
“I always drive with windows down on trips longer than like 20 min [because] I’m terrified of this,” one commenter said.
“I took it to the shop for something random and the mechanics freaked when they realized I’d be driving like that,” another person stated.
Several top comments suggested the purchase of a carbon monoxide detector.
“You can buy a carbon monoxide detector for like $10 and keep it in your car,” someone said. “I had one in my car, and it went off, and I’m so glad we had it.”
A variety of different carbon monoxide detectors can be easily purchased online and in stores as cheap as $4.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and life-threatening gas with symptoms including “headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.”
The CDC recommends having a mechanic check the exhaust system of a vehicle as “a small leak in the exhaust system can lead to a build-up of [carbon monoxide] inside the car.”