Carbon monoxide connects to red blood cells, robbing your body of the oxygen it requires to live. It combines with these cells nearly 200 times more easily than oxygen, creating a condition known as carboxyhemoglobin saturation.
Carbon monoxide, in place of oxygen, then gets carried to the essential organs through the bloodstream. Simply put, carbon monoxide deprives your body of oxygen. Organs require oxygen; when they don’t have it, they begin to suffocate.
Your body requires a long time to eliminate carbon monoxide; however, it can be absorbed much more rapidly.