Your bathroom may be the most dangerous spot in your home, and not just because slime-filled bathtubs have been known to make attempts at babies’ lives, sending their mothers into the arms of Bill Murray.
According to a new CDC report, in 2008 Americans wound up in the emergency room 234,094 times due to nonfatal bathroom injuries. Most of these involved falling, and women were injured at a rate 72% higher than men, no doubt due to the precarious positions required for leg shaving.
Unsurprisingly, the rate of injuries increase with age, but it isn’t just the elderly who are susceptible to the dangerous combination of water and slick tiles. The Washington Post reports:
The rates of injuries occurring on or near the toilet were far more common among people age 85 and older than among those ages 15 to 24. On the other hand, the proportion of injuries in or around the tub or shower was highest among those ages 15 to 24 and lowest among those 85 and up. But the relative proportion of injuries occurring around or on the toilet was lowest among the 15-to-24-year-olds and highest among the 85+ set.
Why is the rate of bathtub injury so much higher among young people? We have a theory: Perhaps young people are engaging in more shower sex and haven’t developed a healthy fear of breaking a hip. The CDC says installing grab bars in the tub and laying down non-stick bath mats may help prevent injury, suggesting the elderly may be on to something. Having something to steady yourself during acquatic sexytime may be the key to a less dangerous bathroom experience.
Be Careful In The Bathroom [Washington Post]
Image via katielittle/Shutterstock.