Showers – Are They Bad For Your Health?
Posted: Monday, December 14, 2009
by Tal Potishman
Heating Central
It will come as a surprise to many, but new information bought to light has revealed that showering may actually be bad for your health. This information has come from a study that was carried out in America. It has been claimed by the scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder that nearly a third of shower heads harbour 'significant levels of mycobacterium avium' - a pathogen linked to pulmonary disease.
According to this study, next time you turn on the shower you could be getting a face full of pathogen. Furthermore, if these pathogen water droplets are inhaled into the lungs they could prove to be quite harmful for your health. You could start to experience a persistent dry cough, tiredness and shortness of breath. It has been reported that people with immune problems are more likely to be prone to these symptoms.
Fear not
Before you start to find alternative ways to bathe, you should not worry too much according to the UK bathroom industry. The UK bathroom industry has pointed out that these tests were carried out in the US and this carries a huge significance. The study was also only based on 50 shower heads. It is more than likely that a similar study carried out here would produce very different results.
Whilst this study may not be too relevant to us, it does still point out the importance of keeping our showers and our shower heads clean. Despite the UK not having an immediate cause for concern, the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) said that the UK shower manufacturers experienced a huge number of calls from worried consumers once these finding were released. BMA calmed many of the consumers down by stating that the UK carries out rigorous tests in order to ensure that the materials used do not support the growth of microbes which allow the formation of bacteria when in contact with water.
So what can we gain from this study?
Everyday we are exposed to microbes in different ways. We would find it quite tough to avoid mycobacterium avium as it is known to occur in water, particularly in hot water supplies and aerosolised water, such as fountains. For many of us this is not particularly worrying as our bodies have a good way of defending against bacteria. For those who have weaker immune systems, they should be more careful. It is important to keep remembering that the study was just based on 50 shower heads so it is difficult to generalise how widespread this problem is. This is especially the case for us in the UK as this test was carried out in the US.
Feeling tempted to bathe the old fashioned way?
So are the experts encouraging people to ditch the shower and go back to having more traditional baths? Not really if you normally a healthy person with no specific immune system problems. If you do have a weaker immune system, some extra caution might be required.
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about plumbers, central heating, plumber Uxbridge, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
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