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Taking Showers Can Be Harmful To Your Health

Posted by timothy on from the healthiest-guy-alive dept.

TheClockworkSoul writes "According to both the BBC and NewScientist, showering may be bad for your health. Apparently, dirty shower heads can be an ideal breeding ground for Mycobacterium avium, a bug responsible for a type of pulmonary disease more prevalent than tuberculosis in developed countries, cases of which have risen in parallel with the rise in showering. Tests revealed nearly a third of devices harbor significant levels of the critter."

56 of 431 comments (clear)

  1. does CLR kill it? by yincrash · · Score: 4, Interesting

    they keep dipping the shower heads in that stuff and it's magically shiny! maybe it'll kill bugs too?

    1. Re:does CLR kill it? by joaommp · · Score: 3, Interesting

      tinfoil hat warning: this is just a new conspiracy from bathtub makers and water suppliers to make us take immersion baths.

      --
      Onda Technology Institute
    2. Re:does CLR kill it? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why bother with CLR? That's a lot of effort to keep your showerheads clean and safe.

      What I've done to protect myself against this terrifying bacteria is to actively encourage the growth of black mold in my shower, which suppresses bacteria growth.

      This has a lot of benefits:

      1. Chinks in the grout between tiles are filled automagically with an attractive black growth.
      2. I never have to clean hard-to-reach areas, since this is where the mold grows best.
      3. My shower is now cute and cuddly due to the "furry" coating on exposed surfaces. It's like a panda bear, except without the bamboo and pointy teeth!

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    3. Re:does CLR kill it? by MaerD · · Score: 3, Funny

      You must be single. Back in the day I had to choose between my friends in the shower or my ability to keep getting laid. It wasn't a hard decision ;)

      ...the mistake here is not having your girlfriend be one of the "friends in the shower". If you find one that's into "group activities" you won't have this issue.

      --
      I put on my robe and wizard hat..
    4. Re:does CLR kill it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Friends don't let friends use the CLR, excessive usage can leave you infected with Mono!

    5. Re:does CLR kill it? by furby076 · · Score: 5, Funny

      See you simply don't care to keep yourself or your family healthy. I change my shower heads, shower pipes, tile, grout, and wetboard once/week. The bathroom manufacturers who came out with this study....err who have HEARD of this study think it is a good idea.

      --

      I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
    6. Re:does CLR kill it? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Back in the day I had to choose between my friends in the shower or my ability to keep getting laid. It wasn't a hard decision ;)

      So, enough suspense already! Which one did you pick?

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    7. Re:does CLR kill it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      He's posting on Slashdot. Is it really a mystery?

    8. Re:does CLR kill it? by nomadic · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, enough suspense already! Which one did you pick?

      I think it's obvious; he's on slashdot, after all.

    9. Re:does CLR kill it? by TheLink · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah with the same toothbrush he uses to clean the toilets.

      Or is that the Army approach?

      --
    10. Re:does CLR kill it? by timeOday · · Score: 5, Funny

      Jerry: Hey, you're not giving it to me, man. What's wrong?

      Kramer: I just took a bath, Jerry. A bath?

      Jerry: No good?

      Kramer: It's disgusting. I'm sitting there in a tepid pool of my own filth.

      All kinds of microscopic parasites and organisms having sex all around me.

      http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheShowerhead.htm

    11. Re:does CLR kill it? by icebike · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And when you DO unscrew the shower head you will find......

      NOTHING!

      Because this story is largely BULL. You can stick a swab just about anywhere and find SOMETHING to sensationalize.

      But having done more than my share of plumbing I can tell you shower heads are as clean on the inside the day you replace them as they were the day you installed them.

      You might find calcium deposits. But then thats also in your tap where you get water to drink or cook.

      Could you possibly find some bacteria? Probably, especially if you live where water is not chlorinated.

      But is there enough to make you sick?

      Well lets think about that for a second: If this bacteria could be washed out of the shower head onto you, then simply running the shower for a minute before you step in would solve the problem.
      And, don't we all do this anyway?

      Tempest. Teapot.

      --
      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    12. Re:does CLR kill it? by RxScram · · Score: 3, Informative

      Hey, without a surface fleet, we wouldn't have any targets to kill!

    13. Re:does CLR kill it? by Thiez · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Since the water that goes through that tube is clean, and the tube was (probably) clean when you got it, what exactly is this mold eating?

    14. Re:does CLR kill it? by whitelabrat · · Score: 5, Funny

      No doubt. Forget how dirty the shower head is. Try swabbing a human. Yucky people.

    15. Re:does CLR kill it? by DJRumpy · · Score: 4, Informative

      The second link indicates the risk is greatly reduced if you just let the water run for 60 seconds before getting in. I would think that practice is actually more common than not as most folks don't jump into a cold shower. I do often step into the shower stall itself and wait while the water gets warm, but the article also warns against that as well. The reason being the atomized water with high concentrations of bacteria are easily breathed in during that initial blast of water and air even if you are not directly under the flow of water.

      In any case, a simple change of habit to simply turn the water on and wait outside of the shower stall for 60 seconds.

  2. Sensationalism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Taking showers 'can make you ill'
    Showering may be bad for your health, say US scientists

    OMG! OMG! Wait, the article goes on to say:

    "These bacteria [â¦] rarely cause disease in healthy people. Further work will need to look at whether finding these organisms is associated with any increased risk of infection."

    Thanks, BBC.

    1. Re:Sensationalism by MrNemesis · · Score: 5, Funny

      As the wonderful Daily Mash points out;

      "Nevertheless it is better to carry the heady stench of the Gaul than expose yourself to the sort of tiny risks that generate gigantic headlines."

      --
      Moderation Total: -1 Troll, +3 Goat
    2. Re:Sensationalism by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Informative

      and the article glosses over that MOST water supplies in the USA are so heavily chlorinated, that the chance of this happening are nearly ZERO.

      So if you have well water, you're hosed.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    3. Re:Sensationalism by Quothz · · Score: 5, Informative

      and the article glosses over that MOST water supplies in the USA are so heavily chlorinated, that the chance of this happening are nearly ZERO.

      Au contraire. Truth is not arrived at by listening to the voices in your head,* but by rigorous scientific study. For example, let's have a look at Chlorine Susceptibility of Mycobacterium avium and Effect of Growth in Biofilms on Chlorine Susceptibility of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare, two entirely independent studies.

      It would appear that those published, peer-reviewed studies disagree with you. In particular, a quote from the former:

      . . . M. avium has been isolated from a variety of sources, including municipal drinking water systems . . .

      Whether M. avium is worth any worry is up for debate. Whether it exists in our water supplies is not. It probably isn't a great cause for concern, although it's nice to know that it's being looked into with more thoroughness than someone waving vaguely and going "naaaaah".

      * Which I assume also whisper to you that the best way to denote emphasis is by capitalizing words in their entirety. They're wrong about that, too.

    4. Re:Sensationalism by TheLink · · Score: 4, Informative

      Uh no. Chlorine is not as effective on that bacteria, and actually that's why it and not other bacteria that tends to be there :).

      See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15shower.html

      "M. avium tends to be a particular problem in municipal water supplies, Dr. Pace said. The reason is that cities treat their water with chlorine, a poison that kills most bacteria but gives avium a selective advantage."

      --
    5. Re:Sensationalism by lorenlal · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I seriously don't think there's any amount of filth and nasty that can ever approach my keyboard... except maybe my mouse.

  3. Who would have guessed? by Moraelin · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess a couple of co-workers are actually just taking good care of their health. I'm pretty sure one of them doesn't come anywhere near this bacterium more than twice a year.

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
    1. Re:Who would have guessed? by idontgno · · Score: 4, Funny

      And if the bacterium accidentally finds itself on the aforementioned co-workers' skin, they wouldn't be able to establish a beachhead against the aggressive pre-existing community already there.

      We're all microbiomes; some of us are just more... lush.

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  4. Secretly, some geeks knew... by arhhook · · Score: 3, Funny

    Secretly, some geeks knew this all along, hiding from the masses the real reasons they didn't shower. Now their cover is blown!

  5. oh great by sxedog · · Score: 4, Funny

    now there will be more smelly IT nerds walking around. Wait.... nevermind

    --
    If it ain't broke, DON'T fix it.
  6. Ahh sweet vindication by oldspewey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finally the medical community is backing my position on showers ... and I know it's just a matter of time before some new study proves I'm right about the Doritos and climbing the basement stairs.

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  7. hmmm by Rip+Dick · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know most people, myself included, run the water for a minute or two before stepping into the shower. (Due to the time it takes for the water to heat up, etc.) Would this help avoid getting sprayed with a build up of bacteria or is the stream of germs constant? Also, hot water + soap + friction can kill a lot of germs, wouldn't the fact that you're already showering help the situation?

    1. Re:hmmm by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Informative

      Also, hot water + soap + friction can kill a lot of germs, wouldn't the fact that you're already showering help the situation?

      That doesn't kill germs. It just helps remove them from your skin.

      Besides the concern for pulmonary disease is that you inhale water droplets with these germs inside them. I highly doubt that you use soap + hot water + friction inside your lungs (but if you do, you're more of a man than I).

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    2. Re:hmmm by mea37 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From the (somewhat incomplete) information in TFA, I think you're right that running the water before stepping in helps. Not sure about whether the fact you're taking a shower at the time matters, as the concern is inhaled bacteria.

      It also seems that metal shower heads are not as bad as plastic.

      Oh, and the bacteria in question are opportunistic - healthy people rarely get sick from them. So maybe it makes sense to give small children more baths than showers (which is what my family always did when I was growing up anyway); to consider taking baths when sick; and to consider what this implies for care of the elderly.

      Other than that, this just seems a bit over-hyped. (Not seeing what the comparison to TB adds to the story beyond sensationalism, for example.)

    3. Re:hmmm by Hal_Porter · · Score: 3, Funny

      I highly doubt that you use soap + hot water + friction inside your lungs (but if you do, you're more of a man than I).

      Weed kills these bugs and prevents lung cancer. I read it on www.good-skunk-is-a-humanright.co.uk

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  8. Nothing to see here, move along... by CmdrPorno · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Germs are EVERYWHERE. Hospitals do all kinds of disinfection that you wouldn't and couldn't do in your own home, and people still get staph infections.

    --
    Sent from my iPhone
    1. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by MozeeToby · · Score: 5, Informative

      Arguably people get staph infections in hospitals because hospitals put so much effort into sterilizing every little thing. It leaves the hardiest, and fastest spreading bacteria and viruses to fill the vacuum rather than the millions of common germs that our body knows how to deal with. They've done studies which show a less rigorous sterilization regiment can actually reduce the rate of infections but the whole 'germs are evil' mindset prevents hospitals from actually changing their behavior.

    2. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by the_humeister · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's not because the hospitals are sterilizing. It's because people keep using antibiotics for things that are unnecessary that selects for antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA. If and when vancomycin resistant Staph. becomes prevalent (I'm aware of 3 documented cases so far), we're in deep shit.

    3. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by level_headed_midwest · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not true. You're thinking of antibiotic resistance. Disinfectants usually physically break apart the bacteria and the common methods of antibiotic resistance don't protect against this. The main cause of staph infections is by people not washing their hands.

      --
      Just "gittin-r-done," day after day.
    4. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by ari_j · · Score: 3, Funny

      Every time someone mistakenly adds the t to sterilization regimen, I picture the US Cavalry riding at breakneck speeds toward me with giant alcohol swabs.

    5. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by CodeBuster · · Score: 4, Informative

      If and when vancomycin resistant Staph. becomes prevalent (I'm aware of 3 documented cases so far), we're in deep shit.

      Note quite. There is still Linezolid and when that becomes less effective there are several other Oxazolidones in the drug pipeline. Of course Linezolid is crazy expensive right now, being as it is under patent protection, but that is actually a good thing because it discourages frivolous uses such as anti-bacterial hand soap or animal feed. A few thousand dollars is worthwhile if it saves a life, but not for non-life threatening uses.

    6. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by Valdrax · · Score: 3, Informative

      Arguably people get staph infections in hospitals because hospitals put so much effort into sterilizing every little thing. It leaves the hardiest, and fastest spreading bacteria and viruses to fill the vacuum rather than the millions of common germs that our body knows how to deal with.

      Actually, "hardiest" and "fastest-spreading" are generally mutually opposed. Most mutations to develop antibiotic resistance are costly and inefficient compared to non-resistance. This is why these traits, which spontaneously appear in the population from time to time, do not become dominant without the use of antibiotics or other outside pressures to cull the herd in favor of resistance.

      However, you are right in some contexts. Some genes for resistance to antibiotics also aid in resistance to certain disinfectants.

      "Compounds such as household disinfectants and other antibacterial agents can also select for antibiotic resistance. Triclosan and pine oil, which are widely used in home cleaning products are able to select for multidrug-resistant mutants, either by mutation in the target genes or in the regulatory mar system, providing a pleiotropic resistance to disinfectants, multiple structurally unrelated antibiotics, organic solvents and oxidative stress agents. Constitutive expression of an MDR efflux pump which confers resistance to triclosan is also reported in P. aeruginosa. Given the increased use of these agents in households, one can imagine dramatic changes in the environmental flora that impact antibiotic resistance."

      -- TM Barbosa, SB Levy. The impact of antibiotic use on resistance development and persistence. Drug Resist Update. 2000;3:303-11.

      --
      If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
    7. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by couchslug · · Score: 4, Interesting

      "Hospitals do all kinds of disinfection that you wouldn't and couldn't do in your own home, and people still get staph infections."

      They also ignore and omit proper precautions, even those as basic as a physician washing his hands between touching patients.

      We lose more people to MRSA in the US than we do to murder and the WoT, but it doesn't make much news for some reason...

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    8. Re:Nothing to see here, move along... by Rich0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In fact, this showcases why it is that little R&D takes place for antibiotics - there isn't much money in them, and when you do come out with one you need to charge obscene rates to make a profit.

      The fact is that 95% of people who get bacterial infections will do just fine with pennicilian. 95% of the rest will do just fine with one of a few other super-cheap antibiotics. The only people who need the really exotic stuff are people with really exotic problems. However, there aren't enough of them to pay for making new exotic stuff.

      I think that antibiotics are one of those areas where the NIH should probably just contract the development of new classes of treatments. They could place an order for a new drug just like the Air Force places an order for a new plane. Sure, it would be pricey, but it is probably the only way it will happen. Actually - it probably shouldn't even be the NIH, but rather a coalition of first-world governments. The government might license it royalty free to anybody who paid in to the development, and to third world nations.

  9. Re:Now what? by joaommp · · Score: 5, Funny

    sponge baths, given by sexy barely legal nurses in underwear, now that's healthy, in more than one sense of the word.

    --
    Onda Technology Institute
  10. Re:Gentlemen, start your start-ups by BeardedChimp · · Score: 4, Funny

    The telcos are way ahead in this field, they've had telephone sanitisers for years.

  11. Dear Slashdotters by mewsenews · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This article does NOT mean you have an excuse to cease bathing.

    This article also does not provide justification for the cessation of: tooth brushing, hair cutting, shaving, fingernail clipping, or deodorant usage.

    Regards,
    Society

    1. Re:Dear Slashdotters by kimvette · · Score: 4, Funny

      In order for many slashdotters to cease bathing, they would first have to start bathing.

      Sorry, I saw a nit and had to pick it! ;)

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  12. Suprisingly light on details for the BBC by hellfire · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have so many questions that this article doesn't answer.

    1) Where was the sample taken? UK showers? World wide? Third world countries?
    2) Is there an information on different kinds of shower heads? for example, is this more common on massaging heads, low flow/high pressure heads, etc?
    3) Does hot water kill this bacteria? Is it more common for people who take colder showers than people who take hot ones?
    4) I always start the shower first before getting under it, since it takes about 5+ seconds to warm up... any ideas if this affects infection? (Thats more of a study question than a question from the article).
    5) Any real way to prevent the growth? Someone already asked if CLR kills it. If this is so common, mind telling me how I can help myself?

    I've never read a BBC article that left me with more questions.

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  13. Re:Bad water... by default+luser · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Not true, this is an opportunistic bacteria that lives in stagnant water. It can find the stagnant water without being introduced through the water supply (through air or other contamination). Since a person with dirty hair is only inches away from the shower, it's not hard to see how it might get contaminated. In the same way it can get inside your lungs (aerosol), it can also get inside your shower head.

    The shower head is sitting idle most of the day, and since the chlorine in the water quickly dissipates in air, the water left remaining when you turn the shower off is quite welcoming to the bug. Yeah, it gets hit with chlorinated water at least once a day (you do shower regularly, right?), but the amount of chlorine in the water at-delivery is way too little to kill entrenched bacteria (that happens at the treatment plant, with much higher concentrations of chlorine, and UV treatments). You might kill a small amount, but the strong survive.

    This is a real problem - it's already known that sources of stagnant water can be breeding grounds for Legionnaire's Disease, so why not yet-another lung infection?

    --

    Man is the animal that laughs.
    And occasionally whores for Karma.

  14. CU Boulder by pete-classic · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is all based on a study out of CU Boulder. As a Denver resident, I can attest that the dirty hippies at CU Boulder are on a never-ending quest to justify their poor hygiene. Don't be fooled! Shower every day!

    -Peter

  15. Re:Now what? by CheeseTroll · · Score: 4, Funny

    sponges are also full of germs. better stick to a good hand-rubbing. ;-)

    --
    A post a day keeps productivity at bay.
  16. A Victory for Open Source! by wsanders · · Score: 3, Funny

    I declare this a victory for Open Source. Now - on to making beards, sandals with black socks, and red suspenders fashionable again!

    --
    Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
  17. Re:not to be stereotypical here but... by TheABomb · · Score: 4, Funny

    (lifelong acme sufferer)

    Ah, but how often do coyotes normally shower?

    --
    MSIE: The world's most standards-complaint web browser.
  18. Oligodynamic effect by emil · · Score: 4, Informative

    Metal shower heads are most likely safer due to the Oligodynamic effect.

  19. plastic bag, a bit of clorox... by jcr · · Score: 3, Informative

    Disinfecting a shower head is trivial. Pour some bleach in a bag, with enough water to immerse the shower head, put the shower head in the bag, use a twist-tie to hold it in place for a couple of minutes.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  20. Re:Gentlemen, start your start-ups by PayPaI · · Score: 3, Funny

    spray alcohol through the nozzels after every shower

    Forget after, how about during?

  21. Simple Enough Solution by severoon · · Score: 4, Funny

    This problem of the dirty shower head is easily solved by my approach. Instead of hooking up to a city water tap, I just had a giant tank of bactine installed that I use instead. Best part: no soap required, just a wire brush and a brillo pad and you're in and out as fast as you can say, Where'd all my skin go?

    --
    but have you considered the following argument: shut up.
  22. Re:not to be stereotypical here but... by Colonel+Korn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Or suffer from the chronic purchasing of bogus, yet name-brand, gimmicks?

    Stop making fun of Macs. That's mean!

    --
    "I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
  23. Flamebait? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you think that the above is flamebait then you are a hippie who needs to take a shower. I am from Santa Cruz and may use the word hippie as much as I want because people all over the world automatically think I am one. I do exhibit many of the characteristics; I do, however, shower.

    If you were offended by my frequent overuse of the word hippie, you'll hate these jokes even more:

    Q: How do you hide money from a hippie?
    A: Hide it under the soap.

    Q: How do you know a hippie has been on your couch?
    A: They're still there!

    Now grow up, and allow your sense of humor to drop out of the cavity it's hiding in.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"