What are the actual causes of carbon monoxide poisoning? and how serious is it actually?

I was told bymy doctor that my headaches and light-headedness is either tension headaches or Carbon monoxide poisoning - I'm pretty sure it's tension as I have no gas heaters or anything in my flat, but its just got my curious about carbon monoxide - if my headaches were caused by it, how serious would it get? I know if there is a lot of carbon monoxide, it can cause death but would the headaches turn into more over time?

I don't smoke either by the way!

It can build up in your system and make you very ill and over time could kill you. Buy a CO detector and see if you have a problem in your flat.

very serious, caused by smoking mainly

CO poisoning is very serious because CO has more of an attraction to hemoglobin than O2 does, so when there is CO in your system, it get attracted to all the hemoglobin in your system and you cant get O2 to your body systems. thats why patients are put on 100% O2 when they come to the hospital with CO poisoning.

dryers cars stoves any thing that burns gas i would recommend getting a carbon monoxide detector they are 15 to 50 dollars
carbon monoxide at a lower contraction will slowly kill brain cells in

Most smokers walk around with about 5 to 10% Carbon Monoxide(CO) in their blood. 10% is generally enough to cause headaches. If there is a source that is generating Carbon Monoxide in your house, your CO levels will continue to rise because CO has about 200 times the attachment rate to the hemoglobin in your blood than Oxygen. If Oxygen can't attach to the hemoglobin, then you will die. You should check your home for CO just to make sure that your problems aren't being caused by CO to be safe.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning is very serious. Your headaches could worsen if that is the problem. Carbon Monoxide can cause anything from head aches to flu-like syptoms and even death. You don't have to have a gas heater for there to be Carbon Monoxide. It can even come from the sewers if something was dumped there. I would suggest having someone come in and check for any gas leeks and that you go and buy a cheap Carbon Monoxide detector that you can plug into an electrical outlet. Everyone needs one!

It's caused by carbon monoxide - an odourless flavourless gas. It basically stops your blood carrying oxygen. I would by a detector for your home if you are suffering from this as if you get very badly poisoned it can cause brain death from oxygen starvation.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. Appliances fueled with natural gas, liquified petroleum (LP gas), oil, kerosene, coal, or wood may produce CO. Burning charcoal produces CO. Running cars produce CO.

The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:

Headache
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Dizziness
Many people with CO poisoning mistake their symptoms for the flu or are misdiagnosed by physicians, which sometimes results in tragic deaths.

Do you have a gas or combi boiler? have you had them checked recently?
You do not need a long bout of exposure to carbon monoxide for it to be fatal. It's caled the silent killer bacuse more often than not people do not realise what is happening.
I'm sure you heard on the news about the family on holiday last year where the 2 kids were killed because of carbon monoxide.
You can buy carbon monoxide alarms (similar to smoke alarms and work in the same way.) My mother bought us all one for Christmas - worth having in your home.

Carbonmoxide is a serious problem.get your flat checked out by a professional and get a `carbonmoxide detector-a bit like smoke detector.

please sleep with a window open tonight incase a neighbouring properties gas venting fumes are somehow getting into your property would hate to think of you dying cold is better than dead