KATHMANDU: People who heat their rooms using gas heaters must build proper ventilation system, as lack of a proper outlet for carbon monoxide can lead to suffocation and carbon monoxide poisoning, doctors have warned.

“The gas heaters use oxygen during the burning process. When heaters are used in spaces without proper ventilation facility, they absorb oxygen present in the room, thereby increasing the supply of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. This can cause suffocation and poisoning and can lead to death if there is a high amount of carbon monoxide in the blood,” said Dr Khem Raj Bhusal, consultant physician at Green City Hospital, Basundhara. Headache, disorientation, weakness, nausea, chest pain and dizziness are some of the symptoms of lack of oxygen in the body.