Which option lists the symptoms attributed to CO poisoning?

• A. Headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness
• B. Cyanosis and loss of consciousness
• C. Headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue
• D. Cough, fever, rash

Answer: (A)

Carbon monoxide poisoning typically presents with headaches, dizziness, nausea, and weakness due to tissue hypoxia from carboxyhemoglobin formation, which reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to the brain and other organs. These early, non-specific symptoms are the classic cluster people notice first, making the option that lists headache, dizziness, nausea, and weakness the best match.

Cyanosis is not a reliable early sign of CO poisoning—many people with CO exposure do not look unusually blue, and serious cases can occur without this change. Cough, fever, and rash point more to infections or inflammatory conditions rather than CO-related hypoxia, so they don’t fit CO poisoning as well. Fatigue is possible, but weakness is the more commonly described clinical term in the typical presentation.