(taken from bbc site)

Taking showers 'can make you ill'

Showering may be bad for your health, say US scientists, who have shown that dirty shower heads can deliver a face full of harmful bacteria.

Tests revealed nearly a third of devices harbour significant levels of a bug that causes lung disease.

Levels of Mycobacterium avium were 100 times higher than those found in typical household water supplies.

M. avium forms a biofilm that clings to the inside of the shower head, reports the National Academy of Science.
In the Proceedings journal, the study authors say their findings might explain why there have been more cases of these lung infections in recent years, linked with people tending to take more showers and fewer baths.

Water spurting from shower heads can distribute bacteria-filled droplets that suspend themselves in the air and can easily be inhaled into the deepest parts of the lungs, say the scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Potential threat

Lead researcher Professor Norman Pace, said: "If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy."

While it is rarely a problem for most healthy people, those with weakened immune systems, like the elderly, pregnant women or those who are fighting off other diseases, can be susceptible to infection.

They may develop lung infection with M. avium and experience symptoms including tiredness, a persistent, dry cough, shortness of breath and weakness, and generally feel unwell.

When the researchers swabbed and tested 50 shower heads from nine cities in seven different states in the US, including New York City and Denver, they found 30% of the devices posed a potential risk.

Since plastic shower heads appear to "load up" with more bacteria-rich biofilms, metal shower heads may be a good alternative, said Professor Pace.

Showers have also been identified as a route for spreading other infectious diseases, including a type of pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease and chest infections with a bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Hot tubs and spa pools carry a similar infection risk, according to the Health Protection Agency.

A HPA spokesperson said: "This is an interesting paper which provides further information about the occurrence of opportunist organisms - germs which do not usually cause infections in humans - in the environment.

"These bacteria, which belong to the same family as TB, can be found in the environment and occasionally in water supplies but 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."

What can we do? Should we all start taking bath's rather than showers and then incur the wrath of the Environment groups for not saving water?

ps, I saw this website the other day which may explain why there are so many harmful bacteria in showerheads. The things women will do.

"If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy."

How to prevent this is easy and most people do it anyway, turn your shower on and let it run before getting in it. There is about one year of his life wasted, he is finding a problem that doesnt exist in most houses as people let the shower run so the hot water come through and the correct temperature is reached.

It'd be mercy killing. Aren't you all paedophiles and terrorists anyway??

He's telling the world something it already knows

Merchant ship legislation states you have to clean your shower heads in Hypochlorite solution for that very reason every 2/3 months to keep the nasties under control - not that I am suggesting we all do that - I presume that tap water is meant to be more strictly montiored for bugs than ships water

Hot tubs and jacuzzis are best avoided.

Jacuzzis.

Biggest spreaders of thrush on the planet.

You do the annoying croont jokes for me, it's late and I'm going out on the balcony with a nice glass of red.

You're supposed to descale them in an hydrochloric acid and then treat them with sodium hypochlorite to destroy any bacteria..there's a bit more involved but I thought I'd escaped all that ...funnily enough, I received my registration from the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management at Lougborough for another five years this morning, spooky. or maybe not.

My No.2 son is off to Loughborough in under two weeks, do you want him to pass on your thanks?

Sorry, my imagination went into overtime after that ....

I once saw a short porno called Shower Head. The bloke's knackers must have filled up again every 5 minutes cos he "showered" the bird about six times in it.

If I never see another swimming pool and eveything that goes with it ever again, ... it'll be too soon.

I stayed overnight once as some divers were staying back to do work on the pool tiles. I was 'babysitting' and bored out of my skull. About two in the morning, one of them came and said they were finished and packing up and going...as they were leaving, I went to see them out and lock the door. As they left, they said would I tell my mate to stop watching them from the balcony as it put them off....Walking back to the office, I realised there was only me in the building...
Now that building makes some really strange sounds in the middle of the night and I decided best to turn on the telly in the rest area to distract my attention..the film I found showed a naked woman writhing on the bed...looked good till the severed head rolled across her chest,, telly off and lock my self in the office, then realised ghosts can walk through doors... sat rigid till dawn and was I glad when the early shift turned in..... speaking to their gaffer on the phone at Manchester a couple of days later, he asked me if they'd tried the 'mate watching them trick'...... bastids.

classic

LOL, cruel sods

what ever happened to that buzzer and light system

It's still there, in all it's glory.

As mutley knows i'm a regular at the baths, the youngun loves it, arm bands, peppa pig outfit, and that's just me!!

For a £1.50 you can't really complain, it's exercise, it's teaching her to swim before she can have lessons, and the slide's still there!

What a guy!!!!!!! He just oozes class. He even manages to wave good bye with his foot at the end.

At one particular location we were sterilising the water system overnight and as we emerged from behind the building we encountered and old bloke with one of those pug dogs, it was 3 am and it was freezing cold in February and it was so cold everything was dry with snow flurries. We were dressed in White paper boiler suits with the hoods up, wellies rubber gauntlets and full face breathing apparatus masks around our necks... his face was one of shock and the lad next to me quick as a flash said.. "Haven't you heard about the accident at the Power Station" .. he picked the dog up by the lead and was off, he's probably still sat in the house with the windows sealed up waiting for the all clear
Why would you take a dog for a walk at 3 am....

I am probably going to sound like a person without kids here but who or what the hell is peppa pig, is this a new range of swim wear I am unfamiliar with

It's a cartoon for toddlers, peppa, george, mammy pig daddy pig etc.

Jess used to love it but now she's approaching 4 she's growing out of it.

If you knew about it compo to be fair i would be more worried than i already am about you.

Shall I tell you what I do know about thou Yo Gabba Gabba, its on about 7o'clock on channel 4. Its the worlds wierdest programme and sure its only on for people on a come down

Him with the long arms is offit.