"Stop Rinsing Your Mouth in the Shower Now"... Warning That "Bacteria" Could Invade the Lungs [Smart Wellness]

[Financial News] As the weather turns chilly, more people are warming themselves with hot water and relieving their fatigue. However, caution is advised because seemingly harmless shower habits can damage the scalp and skin and may even lead to lung disease or reduced male reproductive function.

The most common mistake is washing the face directly under the shower stream. The strong water pressure can physically damage the delicate facial skin's outermost layer and its protective oil-and-moisture barrier.
When hot water, warm enough to wash the body, is added to the equation, the capillaries in the face can rapidly expand. This can reduce skin elasticity and cause or worsen facial flushing. After showering, wash your face at the sink with lukewarm water, gently wiping it with your hands.
Hot water can also seriously harm scalp health. When high-temperature water hits the head directly, it excessively strips away the natural oil barrier that protects the scalp. This can cause dryness, flaking and itching, while reducing scalp elasticity.

Brushing your teeth in the shower and rinsing your mouth with shower water is also a habit to avoid.
The buildup covering the surfaces inside showerheads and hoses provides an ideal environment for nontuberculous mycobacteria to live and multiply. These bacteria are not transmitted from person to person, but they can travel in tiny water droplets released during a shower and penetrate deep into the respiratory tract, potentially causing chronic lung disease.
To reduce the risk of infection, stop brushing your teeth with shower water and replace the showerhead and hose regularly, at least once every six months.

Last summer, Jang Won-young, a member of the singer group IVE, attracted attention when she said on the YouTube channel "IVE," "I think I shower for almost an hour or longer. I'm the kind of person who can't feel satisfied unless I get 100% clean." However, medical experts recommend limiting showers to around 10 minutes for the sake of one's health.
Prolonged exposure to hot water can strip away the skin's protective barrier and cause dryness. It can also adversely affect male reproductive function. Sperm are produced and develop actively in an environment 1 to 2 degrees cooler than body temperature. Extended exposure to hot water can significantly reduce sperm count and motility.
According to a study by a research team at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), five of 11 men experiencing reproductive problems saw their sperm counts increase by 491% after they stopped taking hot-water baths for several months.The ideal shower routine is to use lukewarm water below 40 degrees and finish showering in about 10 minutes. The water is at an appropriate temperature if it feels lukewarm when tested with the elbow.
Immediately after showering, water on the skin's surface evaporates and draws moisture from within the skin as well. It is best to gently pat the body dry and apply moisturizer over the entire body within three minutes to form a protective moisture barrier.

[email protected] Kim Hyun-sun Reporter