Take note of the temperature of your shower, as a few degrees too hot could result in a potentially life-threatening injury, a doctor has warned.
According to German-based vascular health expert Dr Max Maddahali, ‘excessively hot’ showers can trigger a dangerous drop in blood pressure that could cause you to faint, risking serious injury and even death.
The hot environment causes blood vessels to expand in the skin, an instinctive biological reaction to try and cool the body down.
This process can—in some circumstances—trigger feelings of dizziness and even cause you to fall unconscious.
Fainting can be dangerous at any time but doing in the bathroom could be extremely serious given the number of hard surfaces to hit your head on.
As such, experts advise turning the shower down a few degrees if you find yourself feeling dizzy or installing a temperature lock to avoid the temptation entirely.
Those particularly prone to feelings of dizziness in the shower—such as patients with an existing health condition—may want to have a grab bar, anti-slip or even a stool installed to provide quick support.
Patients can also be recommended to get a wearable medical alert device, which can come as a bracelet, and can raise the alarm if a person falls or finds themselves injured.
According to vascular health expert Dr Max Maddahali, ‘excessively hot’ showers can trigger a dangerous drop in blood pressure that could cause you to faint, risking serious injury and even death
But Dr Maddahali said fainting wasn’t the only health hazard you risked by having a hot shower.
In a TikTok clip which has been viewed over 14million times, he also said it could also pose a risk to your skin, hair and even your immune system.
Dr Maddahali said: ‘There’s some natural on your skin that are keeping your skin moist.’
‘Hot water can wash them off completely so dryness can happen.
‘Also, too hot water can cause hair damage.’
Scalding water damages hair much in the same way it damages skin, by stripping it of natural oils that protect making it more vulnerable to damage.
While Dr Maddahali didn’t explain how hot showers weaken the immune system—our body’s natural defence against dangerous virus and bacteria—some research suggests this is true.
Hot water is more effective at removing a natural layer of ‘good’ bacteria that live naturally on the skin.
Some experts suggest removing this layer leads to a less active immune system, which could reduce its ability to respond to actual threats.
Social media users reacting to the clip said they would keep their steaming hot showers, despite the medic’s advice.
‘I respectfully will not take your advice,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘It is therapeutic, hot showers keep me sane.’
Medics have provided a range of advice about showers over the years, from when to take them to what to never do in them.
While the nation may be divided about if morning or evening showers reign supreme, experts have ruled a shower before bed to be superior.
Dr Jason Singh, a primary care physician in Virginia, previously highlighted how an evening showers improved sleep quality, washing away pollutants, and hydrating dry skin.
But experts have said you should ‘never’ urinate in the shower as it could train your brain into associating the act with the sound of running water and leading to incontinence.
