A NICE refreshing shower after a flight home from your holiday can be very tempting.
However, a doctor has warned that you should run the water for 20 minutes first before using it to avoid lethal bacteria.
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, microbiologist Dr Tom Makin has recommended that people who haven't used their shower for more than a few days should take precautions or risk inhaling bacteria called legionella.
It contaminates droplets of water and, if inhaled into the lungs, can cause legionnaire's disease which in turn may trigger life-threatening pneumonia and organ failure.
"I cover my nose and mouth with one hand and turn on the shower with the other," he explains of his first task when he gets home after a break.
"After 20 minutes or so, I’ll turn the shower off and then I won’t go back into the bathroom for at least another 20 minutes."
What's more, summer – particularly when the temperatures rise – is when the risk of infection is highest.
The bacteria thrives in stagnant water above 20C and below 45C.
Its favourite places to lurk in home include shower heads, water butts and pipes.
But it can also be present in your garden hose or sprinkler system, meaning a spot of gardening could place you at risk of infection.
What are the signs and symptoms of Legionnaires' disease?
The initial symptoms are very similar to that of the flu. People are likely to suffer from:
- Headaches
- Muscle pain
- High temperatures
- Tiredness
- Chills
But when the bacteria spreads to the individual's lungs the symptoms are more similar to that of pneumonia:
- Chest pains
- A persistent cough
- Shortness of breath
It usually takes between six and seven days for the full-blown infection to kick in after infection.
It is estimated that around 500 Brits a year contract legionnaire's and one in six cases of pneumonia are down to it, however it's thought that many milder cases may go undiagnosed.
The World Health Organisation has suggested that rising rates are due to more people having showers than baths.
Symptoms of breathlessness, severe chest pain and a high temperature usually appear within a few days of infection.
Those most at risk include smokers, the elderly, people with a weakened immune system and if you have an existing health problem such as diabetes or cancer.
Treatment usually involves taking antibiotics for several weeks to clear the bugs.
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