You get home from work and start to feel like you have a headache.

You can't concentrate. You feel dizzy and nauseated as you make your way to the couch to rest.

But before you take a nap to sleep off those flu-like symptoms, consider that your ill health could be attributed to carbon monoxide (CO).

Jim and Marsha Kilgore, South Zimmer Road, Warsaw, narrowly escaped CO asphyxiation a week ago when a backdraft of the gas became concentrated in their home.

On Feb. 20, Jim Kilgore called Warsaw Police Department and told dispatcher Jackie Treft they were feeling very sick. He said it was probably just the flu, but it wasn't. When a WPD patrol stopped by their home Kilgore collapsed into the officer's arms.

The couple were treated at St. Joseph's Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit. "None of the symptoms really went away until after about 2-1/2 hours in the decompression chamber, Kilgore said.

He said looking back, they should have suspected something was wrong in their home.

"My wife had been having headaches, quite severely, mainly in the morning. As her school days went on and she was in a different location other than the house, she'd get a little better," said Kilgore.

"By night when she'd come back into the house the headaches would start to come back," he said.

Their experience with the quiet killer has triggered a heightened awareness of the dangers that exist.

"Everyone mentioned that you really should have a detector, and it should be a really quality detector. Quality ones are only $50-$60," said Kilgore.

"I told Marcia on the way home 'Before we go to bed tonight we will have a very good detector in the house,' " he said.

Tom Kallay, NIPSCO consumer and community relations representative, said NIPSCO checked the Kilgores' residence after the fire department registered its reading. The check revealed that the couple's furnace and water heater were operating fine.

Officials assume it had to be a back draft of CO, Kilgore said.

NIPSCO offers the following tips to avoid the dangers of CO.

jj Be sure your heating system is in good working order. If it is not, have it checked by a professional.

jj Check chimneys and flue pipes for obstructions. Chimneys clogged with soot, birds's nests, leaves or other obstructions can increase CO levels.

jj Avoid burning charcoal or using grills in areas without ventilation.

jj Using the kitchen stove as a space heater can cause an increase in CO levels in the house.

jj Avoid leaving motor vehicles running in a garage or outside an open window. Keep in mind that exhaust is a source of CO.

jj Don't nap in your car while it is running. [[In-content Ad]]