Health Experts Warn Of Silent Killer Inside Homes This Winter

Srinagar- As the Valley slips deeper into winter cold, a silent threat is building inside thousands of homes. Health experts in Kashmir are urging families to stop using unvented gas heaters in sealed rooms, warning that the devices can release deadly carbon monoxide and cause sudden collapse or death without any visible warning.

Across Kashmir, people shut doors and windows to keep the warmth in. Unvented gas heaters burn LPG or other fuel directly inside the living space. Unlike traditional heating devices, there is no chimney or outlet to push harmful gases outdoors. When used for long hours in closed rooms, the air slowly fills with carbon monoxide, a toxic gas that replaces oxygen in the bloodstream.

“This danger is invisible. These heaters have no exhaust and the byproducts of combustion stay inside the room. When the concentration of carbon monoxide rises, anyone inside can be poisoned without even realising it,” said Dr Murtaza Wani, senior medical officer at the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir.

Night time poses the greatest risk. People breathe in the gas while asleep, unaware of any symptoms.“They may never wake up. That is why gas heaters should never be used while sleeping,” Dr Wani cautioned.

Carbon monoxide is often called a silent killer. It has no smell, colour or taste. By the time the body reacts, it may be too late. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with heart or lung ailments are especially vulnerable.

Another physician, Dr Muzafar Ahmad Naik, said early symptoms include a pounding headache, dizziness, vomiting and confusion.“If the exposure continues, it can lead to fainting and respiratory failure,” he said. In severe cases doctors observe tiny red spots in the eyes and on the skin, foamy secretions in the airways and swelling in lung tissues caused by a critical lack of oxygen.

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