My doctor thought I had dementia in my 30s…but my boiler was slowly killing me
A MUM-of-two was accused of taking cocaine and told she had dementia in her thirties - but she was being slowly poisoned by her poorly fitted boiler.
Sue Westwood-Ruttledge battled constant headaches, dizziness and lack of concentration for three painful years, never suspecting that the danger lay in her own home.
The mum, from Sale in Cheshire, was rushed to hospital after collapsing at home repeatedly, teetering close to death as her organs shut down.
Doctors were baffled by the cause of Sue's strange symptoms, accusing her of cocaine abuse despite her never taking drugs.
Other specialists wrongly diagnosed Sue - then in her mid thirties - with early onset dementia.
But a routine check by a British Gas engineer uncovered the chilling truth - Sue and her son Josh, 6 at the time, were slowly being poisoned by carbon monoxide leaking from a badly-fitted boiler in their new-build home.
Read more on CO poisoning
Sue told : "I’ll never forget the look on [the gasman's] face when he told me to get out of the house immediately.
“My family had been so close to death, and in fact the only reason we didn’t all die is we had the windows open all the time."
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas that can be deadly if inhaled.
It's been dubbed a "silent killer" as it can be incredibly difficult to detect.
When carbon monoxide enters the body, it prevents blood from carrying oxygen to cells, tissues, and organs.
Stephanie Trotter OBE, president and director of charity , said: “You can't see, smell, or taste it – yet within minutes, carbon monoxide can overwhelm your body's ability to process oxygen.
"Less than 2 per cent concentration of CO in the air can kill within minutes."
In the UK, around 30 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year, and about 4,000 people are treated in A&E departments, according to the charity.
It warned that the number of people exposed to CO every year could be as much as five times higher due to under-diagnosis.
Nearly 20 years on, Sue still suffers from the devastating, long-term consequences of her three-year exposure to the deadly gas.
Scans carried out by neuro-surgeons found her brain was left looking like that of "someone in their 80s", with her symptoms likened to someone who had "suffered a stroke".
The mum-of-two has now joined CO-Gas Safety's campaign for new carbon monoxide safety rules and awareness.
The charity estimated that more than 20 per cent of boilers in UK could be leaking dangerous levels of gas.
And it warned that nearly one in ten UK homes could be at risk of "dangerous levels" of CO.
Shock collapse
Sue, now 52, was a regular gym goer and ran her own construction business.
That all changed when she and her family moved into their new-build home.
The mum grappled flu-like symptoms, headaches, dizziness and had trouble concentrating.
Meanwhile, her son Josh kept getting stomach aches.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Here are the top seven signs that you could be breathing in CO in your home:
- Headaches
As brain cells become starved of oxygen due to the CO, blood vessels dilate in an attempt to increase blood flow, leading to tension headaches that can range from mild to severe.
The headaches may be accompanied by a feeling of pressure in the temples or across the forehead, and unlike normal headaches, they typically improve when leaving the affected area and breathing fresh air.
- Dizziness
This oxygen deprivation affects the brain's balance centres and spatial processing abilities, leading to a sensation of spinning, lightheadedness, or unsteadiness.
This symptom is particularly dangerous because the resulting disorientation can make it difficult for someone to recognise the danger they're in or to safely evacuate the affected area.
- Weakness
As muscles become increasingly deprived of oxygen, individuals may experience sudden and unexplained weakness or fatigue that can feel similar to having the flu or extreme exhaustion.
This weakness often manifests as heavy, tired limbs, difficulty with normal physical tasks like climbing stairs, or even trouble maintaining an upright posture.
This weakness may develop gradually, making it easy to dismiss as tiredness or overexertion.
People might find themselves needing to rest more frequently during routine activities, feeling unusually tired after minimal effort and yet cannot point to any clear or logical reason as to why, this may be due to CO exposure.
- Nausea
Lack of oxygen (or good-quality airflow) can irritate the body's nausea control centres in the brain, leading to feelings of queasiness and stomach upset that may be accompanied by vomiting.
What makes this symptom particularly deceptive is that it frequently occurs alongside other vague symptoms like headache and fatigue, leading people to assume their discomfort is caused by common illnesses.
- Shortness of breath
When inhaled, CO aggressively binds to haemoglobin in the blood, creating carboxyhemoglobin - a compound that prevents red blood cells from carrying the oxygen needed for survival.
As oxygen levels in the blood plummet, the body desperately attempts to compensate by increasing breathing rate and depth, leading to a frightening sensation of breathing difficulty.
This breathlessness may initially be noticeable only during physical activity but can progress to occur even at rest as exposure continues.
This can become even more problematic for people who suffer from respiratory problems like asthma.
- Confusion or fainting
As brain cells become increasingly starved of oxygen, people may experience progressive mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, poor decision-making, and disorientation that can mimic intoxication or dementia.
This cognitive impairment is particularly dangerous because it affects a person's ability to recognise the danger they're in or take appropriate action to save themselves.
- All issues get better when leaving the house
One thing that might heavily suggest you’ve been exposed to CO is if all the symptoms stated above are either less severe or nonexistent when you leave the house.
For example, if you’re struggling to breathe, constantly feeling sick or light-headed while at home and then these feelings consistently get better when outside or in other environments, it could be a likely sign that the CO exposure is coming from within your home.
Source: CO Gas Safety
"Josh was at school. Paul, my husband, was at work so I was on my own.
"I spent a week on the cardiac ward, having multiple examinations, ECGs, x-rays and blood tests.
"Several consultants asked if I had taken cocaine, as my symptoms were scarily similar.
"I was horrified at being suspected of taking cocaine. I never take drugs of any kind.
"Other consultants suggested I had early-onset dementia. After a week I was discharged from hospital. The medics were baffled.
"At home two days later I had severe chest pains, and couldn't breathe. The ambulance was called. Once again the tests came back inconclusive and I was sent home."
By coincidence, the warranty for their boiler came to and end shortly afterwards and a British Gas engineer came by to do a maintenance check.
It was then that the true cause of the family's problems came to light.
Investigations found that the poorly-fitted boiler was leaking poisonous gas into Sue's office and bedroom - poisoning her "during the day in [her] office then at night in [her] bed".
The mum recalled being shocked that a CO poisoning could be an issue in a brand new house. She'd always assumed it affected residents of "old, badly-maintained student properties".
Lingering side effects
After discovering the cause of her ordeal, the mum promptly had the boiler fixed and a CO alarm fitted in her home.
But almost two decades on, she's still suffering debilitating side effects from the CO poisoning.
She had to give up her business because of the damage the exposure caused to her brain.
And Sue is now suffering from a raft of health issues, including vascular dementia, fibromyalgia, Tietzes Syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, disequilibrium, debilitating migraines every few weeks, and memory, concentration and information retention issues.
She has also had operations on both hands because nerve damage, and had to retrain herself to read because for years she couldn't read more than a short paragraph of text.
The mum said that everyone needs a CO alarm in their home, urging people to make sure the gadget works.
She also called for law changes so that boiler testing becomes mandatory.
Ms Trotter said: "The life-changing effects caused by the poor installation of Sue's boiler and its associated pipework in a brand-new property was shocking and completely avoidable.
"It highlights the need for annual servicing and flue emissions checks by Gas Safe registered professionals, even for new installations.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"There is currently no requirement for new-builds to include a CO alarm.
"Sue had no tests for CO poisoning, despite her symptoms hospitalising her twice. Nor did her GP recognise possible symptoms in Josh."
Tips to prevent CO leaks in your home
- Install all cooking and heating appliances correctly- with gas, engineers must be by law Gas Safe Registered and qualified to work on your type of appliance.
- Maintain your appliances regularly
- Have chimneys and flues swept and checked by a sweep belonging to a recognised trade
organisation - Ensure adequate ventilation. Don’t block grilles which were put in to ventilate a
fire etc - Fit a CO alarm to EN 50291 standard
As an extra safeguard, buy and fit a CO alarm that has been produced to the British Standard for CO - look for EN 50291 on the side of the alarm.
And, make sure you buy from a reputable supplier.
Activate the alarm by removing it from its packaging and connecting the
battery (usually by pulling a tab), read the instructions and carefully consider placement.
To test your device, press and hold the "test" button until you hear a loud beep, which tests the battery.
If the device doesn't produce a sound when tested, you'll usually need to replace the entire unit.
Source: CO Gas Safety