Having A Shower May Not Be As Clean As You First thought

By Tal Potishman

It has recently come to attention that having a shower may actually be bad for your health. This surprising piece of information comes from a study that was carried out in America. The scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder claim that nearly a third of shower heads harbour 'significant levels of mycobacterium avium' - a pathogen linked to pulmonary disease.

If this is not bad enough, additional tests that were carried out indicated that the levels of bacteria found were more than 100 times the background levels in municipal water.

So every time you are in the shower it is possible that your face is being sprayed with pathogen. According to the study, these pathogen water droplets are harmful in the sense that if they are inhaled into the lungs they could lead to health problems. The symptoms experienced could be a persistent dry cough, tiredness and shortness of breath. However, due to our body defence mechanisms, it is unlikely to cause a great deal of harm. People with vulnerable immune systems are more likely to be at danger from having these symptoms. .

Should you be worried?

For those of you who are starting to get worried, fear not as the UK bathroom industry has stated that people should not get too distressed with these findings. Firstly it is important to remember that these tests were carried out in the US based on just 50 shower heads. A similar study in the UK is likely to produce different results as we use different materials here.

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?

It is important to note that we are constantly exposed to microbes on a daily basis. Mycobacterium avium is hard to avoid as it is known to occur in water, particularly in hot water supplies and aerosolised water, such as fountains. For us as humans this is not a major concern as our bodies are intelligently designed to defend ourselves against these harmful bacteria. However those with weaker immune systems should be a little concerned and take extra care in protecting themselves. It is important to keep remembering that the study was only based on 50 shower heads. Therefore it is not too clear how widespread this bacteria problem is. It is also unclear as to whether it is actually even a problem in the UK as this test was carried out in the US.

Still thinking of bathing the old fashioned way?

So are the experts pushing people to run from their showers in horror? Only if you have a particularly weak immune system and need to take some extra measures and securing your health. If you are otherwise healthy, you should not think about ditching your shower just yet.

About the Author:

Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about efficient heating, plumbers, plumber Bromley, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.

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