Is Your Shower Making You Sick?

A new study has revealed that your showerhead may be infecting you with harmful bacteria. The moist environment inside of a showerhead can encourage the growth of bacteria.

According to The New York Daily News: An analysis of 50 showerheads from nine U.S. cities found that about 30% harbored high levels of Mycobacterium avium- a group of bacteria that can cause lung infections when inhaled or swallowed. Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder found the levels of Mycobacterium avium were 100 times higher that those found in typical household water...Mycobacterium avium is linked to pulmonary disease, causing symptoms such as persistent drug cough, breathlessness and fatigue, and most often infects people with compromised immune systems but can occasionally infect healthy people."

Researchers suggest that people utilize metal showerheads, and change them regularly. This is said to greatly decrease the growth of bacteria.

[SIDEBAR: I don't know what implications this study has on other household faucets.]