Ben Thompson
Just when you thought you were safe going to the toilet...
A doctor has taken to TikTok to warn people not to flush the toilet while they're still sitting on it.
Medical student and influencer, Mehraveh Seyyed Sayyah, has revealed that this seemingly innocuous practice comes at a cost.
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She explained: "When the toilet is flushed without closing the lid, small droplets, containing bacteria can be released into the air and travel up two metres."
Toilet bowls can host a lot of unpleasant bacteria, particularly in the moments after they've been used.
Dangerous bugs like E.coli and staphylococcus are released into the air after a toilet is flushed.
If they land on your skin, they can leave it covered in infections and spots.
E.coli is known for causing severe stomach pain, bloody diarrhea and even kidney failure.
Symptoms usually last for up to seven days if there are no complications, but some last weeks and can be life-threatening.
Staphylococcus on the other hand, usually manifests in skin problems such as rashes and boils.
But should it get into the blood stream, it can cause pneumonia or blood and joint infections.
To avoid this, Seyyed Sayyah advises to 'always close the lid before flushing'.
Whilst this is certainly sound advice, many people were confused to learn that sitting on the toilet while flushing is even a thing.
One viewer commented: "Who the f**k does this? Do they fear nothing?"
Another wrote: "I don’t do this. But my jerk toddlers sometimes flush while I’m sitting on the toilet."
This TikTok isn't the first time that someone has sounded the alarm on toilet hygiene.
A video produced by experts from the University of Colorado showed how dirty toilets can get.
Using bright green lasers, they showed how rapidly particles from feces and urine can be spread throughout a bathroom.
The droplets linger in the atmosphere and put humans at risk of infections.
This experiment was documented in the Journal Scientific Reports and shed light on how the smaller particles can get attached to the nose hair - and make their way to the lungs.
So, to summarise, don't sit on the toilet when you're flushing it. And also, make sure the lid is closed while flushing it.
Basically, keep that lid down at all times unless you're planning on using the toilet.
And here I was, thinking the bathroom was a place to feel safe and secure.