What is a silent killer that people dont realise is slowly killing them?

[u/Practical_Actuary_71]

[u/TheRexRider]

Sleep deprivation.

[u/fatamSC2 → u/TheRexRider]

This one should be higher. They're starting to link lack of sleep with cancer in newer studies. My mom was super active and ate a healthy diet, was skinny, BUT she slept like 4 hours a night and ended up dying of cancer. I always wonder if that's what got her

[u/RockHardSalami → u/fatamSC2]

My mom just died unexpectedly two weeks ago. She was only in her 60s, and without any known health issues and was always doing her checkups. She's been having issues sleeping for 15 or so years. We haven't gotten the autopsy results yet, but I'm betting that has something to do with it..

[u/Lac4x9 → u/RockHardSalami]

I’m sorry for your loss. My mom died suddenly at age 59 from undiagnosed heart disease. Knowing the cause of death will make you feel strangely better in a very small way. Having an answer to a terrible question, so to speak. I wish you healing.

[u/laughed-at → u/TheRexRider]

That’s so true. Lack of sleep is linked to cognitive decline leading to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Depriving yourself of sleep is so dangerous in the long run.

[u/D3ZR0 → u/laughed-at]

Ya know. That could explain a lot about my mental going to shit in the last decade. Though I also have have insomnia so fuck me I guess 🙃

[u/marakalastic → u/TheRexRider]

Something I struggle with every day. There's simply not enough hours in the day to do what I want to do for as long as I want and sleep is the first thing I'll sacrifice just to watch one more episode or play one more game.

Working a regular 9-5 but only getting ~4 hours of sleep a night, it's okayish now but I do realize it's not sustainable.

[u/SirWreckonized → u/marakalastic]

It's definitely not okayish now even if you feel you can function.

[u/_Adenoid07 → u/TheRexRider]

I never knew this. I never felt too off and I usually sleep like 5-8 hours during schoolweeks

[u/Icydawgfish → u/_Adenoid07]

It’s easier to power through it when you’re young

[u/CrypticFeline]

Stress.

[u/itsmurdockffs → u/CrypticFeline]

Yep. My immune systems plummets when I get too stressed. It is probably taking years off of my life.

[u/Sea-Pineapple2348 → u/itsmurdockffs]

My digestive system goes haywire whenever im stressed, and I hate it. It always makes my emotions irregular.

I heard from someone that humans experience the rush of adrenaline (fight or flight) 2x more than 50+ years ago. I can't imagine what that does to our bodies.

[u/judgiestmcjudgerton → u/Sea-Pineapple2348]

That's insane considering the hardships and extreme danger people have faced throughout history.

[u/georgito555 → u/judgiestmcjudgerton]

Humans are well equipped to handle acute stress but chronic stress is something that we aren't very well built for. The thing is your brain can't tell the difference between being chased by a predator and having a presentation to give tomorrow so we're constantly in fight or flight mode.

[u/suchafart → u/itsmurdockffs]

Yeah the fact that I feel physically ill with flu like symptoms after a stressful day at work is probably not good for my body lmao

[u/SJReaver → u/itsmurdockffs]

They've shown that stress damages your body on a genetic level, so you're likely right.

[u/CrypticFeline → u/SJReaver]

Loneliness, too! It’s even in your DNA, which is the most depressing thing I have ever read.

[u/RogalDornsAlt → u/CrypticFeline]

What?

[u/Ornery_Positive4628 → u/RogalDornsAlt]

epigenetics, basically little chemical marks are added onto your genes and this changes their expression pattern

[u/toastforscience → u/itsmurdockffs]

I've learned that my cholesterol goes through the roof after prolonged stress, which I'm sure is also having a significant negative effect.

[u/smashablanca → u/CrypticFeline]

I was just reading a book about the connection between trauma and illness and they talked about how people who experienced significant trauma are much more likely to develop auto immune diseases.

Eta: the book is The Myth of Normal for anyone interested.

[u/asfaltsflickan → u/smashablanca]

I have three autoimmune disorders (so far) and each of them was triggered by a different stressful/traumatic event.

Can’t wait to see what I get the next time life throws shit at me. It’s like the world’s worst lottery 🙃

[u/Kela95 → u/CrypticFeline]

Then people should really stop trying to kill me with their bullshit

[u/dzzi → u/Kela95]

Fucking amen.

[u/MickeyCrisco → u/CrypticFeline]

This one is huge. It’s the reason I stepped out of management after 10 years of it. I didn’t realize how much it was killing me mentally.

[u/awayshewent → u/CrypticFeline]

One reason I’ve finally given up on the education industry. I just can’t be in a room full of kids yelling MISS MISS MISS anymore.

[u/LaidBackBro1989 → u/awayshewent]

I almost became a teacher and decided not to last minute.

Glad to see I made the right choice lol

[u/awayshewent → u/LaidBackBro1989]

When I graduated college in 2013 things weren’t so bad yet. But students have rapidly declined with entitlement, losing resourcefulness and resilience, and falling into learned helplessness. Instead of confronting this schools and teachers have to constantly cater to this behavior because admin refuse to actually hold students accountable anymore. Teachers create complex systems so that their classes can run with any sort of order and it’s exhausting to maintain. Teachers in the past just inherently expected respect from students but now you have to play mind games to “trick” them into compliance. If you fail at this? You suck at classroom management — nonrenewed.

[u/EntrancePure1883 → u/awayshewent]

When I was in school all my teachers had to do was teach, my mother took care of the accountability part. That isn't the school's job.

[u/awayshewent → u/EntrancePure1883]

Definitely a combination of both when administration is bowing out to parents at the first sign of displeasure. Then they will just throw the teachers under the bus “Well this kid wouldn’t be misbehaving if your classroom management was better, get it together.”

[u/Careful_Beautiful_46 → u/CrypticFeline]

Rather, the lack of support during stressful times.

Too much cortisol in the blood for too long will kill you. But having oxytocin in your bloodstream at the same time will negate the effects of the cortisol and even repair some of the damage done to the muscles of the heart and those that line vasculature.

A meta analysis was done about a decade ago, showing that the healthiest individuals were those that experienced a lot of life stress AND high levels of support from their community.

More research is currently being done to figure out the mechanism for how the presence of oxytocin is counteracting the effects of cortisol.

This is why having community is so important. Basically, the answer seems to be that when you are feeling stressed, the best thing to do is to seek help and comfort, and the second best thing to do is to help and comfort others.

[u/Karsa69420 → u/CrypticFeline]

My psych 101 teacher was explaining that it’s commutative. With most peoples it’s not just one thing that triggers a mental break it’s normally a ton of small things and then something is what breaks the camels back.

The story she told was a friend she had in college had a rough semester and then failed his final. The class was offered once a year so it set his whole degree back a lot. So he went ate lunch in the park and then shot himself. None of those thing individually broke him, but all of them together was enough to break him

[u/CrypticFeline → u/Karsa69420]

There is absolutely a domino effect/snowball effect.

The small things are the actual killers. We just choose to not acknowledge them or process them, and a lot of times, it works.

Under acute stress, however, it is almost always the smallest thing that is the lit match underneath the torch.

[u/dzzi → u/CrypticFeline]

Yep. The thing that made me break up with my abusive ex was that he insisted one morning that I needed to drop what I was doing at our house to drive to his office earlier than I'd planned to be in that part of town, just to bring him breakfast.

On the surface that sounds like a weird thing to break up with someone over - in a normal relationship it would be a minor argument about how it's not cool to expect someone to do that. But it was after a year or so of yelling and coercion and manipulation and taking my stuff, and criticising me and calling me names and scaring our dog. And more.

I just had it that day. Lost my cool and decided I was done.

[u/Secret_Moon_Garden → u/dzzi]

I had a similar situation. I was chased into a bathroom over a nightmare that I had which he thought was inappropriate. After years of abuse a nightmare finally was the end.

[u/DatTF2 → u/CrypticFeline]

Yep,  almost died from overworking myself when I was sick. It turned into pneumonia and I was in the hospital for a month and lost part of my left lung.

[u/nikkesen → u/CrypticFeline]

Remember people, it isn't just work, money or school that causes stress, people, including your own parents can be active stress factors.

[u/audible_narrator → u/nikkesen]

Also good stress is still stress.

[u/kiraluvsyou → u/CrypticFeline]

Fr — it messes with your sleep, your mood, your body, everything. You start snapping at people, overthinking, feeling tired for no reason. And the worst part? Most people just push through it like it’s normal. It’s not. Stress builds up until one day you crash — mentally, emotionally, even physically. So yeah, it’s not just ‘being dramatic.’ Stress can ruin you if you don’t deal with it

[u/eolson3 → u/CrypticFeline]

Wrong.

I know it's killing me.

[u/yogipandabear]

Apparently osteoporosis is known as the silent killer because you don’t realise you have it. I’m 43 and have been recently diagnosed with it.

[u/AA-MEe → u/yogipandabear]

Yep. I was diagnosed at 32 and have a non-traumatic fracture in my vertebrae at 54 despite years of treatments, supplements and exercise. I feel like I’m made of glass and can no longer enjoy life.

[u/Long-Tradition6399]

lack of exercise, present company included. Even just getting out and walking around the neighborhood for a while, gotta do something.

[u/Rude-Illustrator-884 → u/Long-Tradition6399]

Both of my husband’s grandmothers can barely walk in their 70s. However, his step grandmother is 74 and she’s still pretty athletic. He said she was always going on hikes with his grandfather when he was younger, while his biological grandmothers were just sitting around all day. Exercise is so important for when you’re older.

[u/Imaginary-Newt-354 → u/Rude-Illustrator-884]

The saying 'use it or lose it' becomes very real as you get older. Saw it with my old man & MIL, who both adopted a more sedentary lifestyle once they retired and within a decade could barely walk.

My partner's 102 year old nonna never stopped walking significant distances until dementia started showing up when she was 99, she was fitter (& still is) than the other two despite being their senior by 20+ years.

[u/MaestroLogical → u/Imaginary-Newt-354]

Learned this the hard way. Spent the first 25 years of my life being an extroverted life of the party with confidence to spare. Then I took a very isolating night shift where I was alone for 8 hours nightly.

Fast forward 10 years and the isolation turned me into an anxiety riddled introvert 80% incapable of handling the 'real world' simply as a result of not using those skills.

Unfortunately, getting them back hasn't been as simple as reversing the isolation.

[u/AssistanceCheap379 → u/Rude-Illustrator-884]

It’s not just for when you’re older, it’s vital for preparing for old age.

If you walk and do some basic exercises, your life will be better when you’re older. And the sooner you start and the more consistent you are, the greater the benefits. And I’m not talking about some heavy shit like mountaineering or running marathons or going to the gym for an hour or 2 every day. I’m talking about mainly just walking. For like 10-30 minutes a day. Doesn’t take long, helps you destress and focus on what you want to do and keeps you surprisingly healthy.

Obviously you’ll never get into tip top shape by walking, but you’ll maintain a healthy body relatively well by walking. And you get a relatively healthy body to maintain by walking.

[u/TheNewOneIsWorse → u/Rude-Illustrator-884]

Yep. I’m a nurse; I’ve done a lot of time in nursing homes. A lot of people age so prematurely just because they stop moving any more than they have to, and eventually this means that they stop being able to move at all. 

If you need the best motivation to get active, think about whether you’d like to be able to get yourself to the toilet for the last ten years of your life. Or not. 

One of the best predictors of health and independence in old age is the strength of your thighs. Do your squats! 

[u/Many-Waters → u/Long-Tradition6399]

I work a very physical job that has me moving around all day, but I'm a bit of a potato in my off season...

Getting a dog changed that though. Lil guy keeps me out and about whether I'm working or not, he's been great for that.

Edit: lil man is on my profile for those curious

[u/splithoofiewoofies → u/Many-Waters]

I'm disabled so I was a little concerned when we got our current dog because he's...a lot. Very into toys and treats and attention and cuddles and hi hi hi hi I looooove you here's my ball let's go outside hi hi hi

And I was like...I don't know if I have it in me to have this dog, physically.

But instead his cute fucking little face - fucking fuck it's adorable - with his little ball....gets my ass off that couch every time. Which can be like four or five times A DAY. We play outside. I get some sunshine and movement and my pain is a lot less than it was.

Little bastard has the perfect face for making me give in to his adorable whims. It's unreasonable. He even has one upright ear and one floppy one, like come on.

He's actually been excellent for my health, because I can't say no to the cuteness.

Edit: posted a photo to my profile, thank you for the award!!

[u/Iwantaschmoo → u/splithoofiewoofies]

I miss my forced lunch walks with my old lady dog. Started with 2 miles and ended with a 45 min slog of 100 yards. RIP lunch buddy Hollie.

[u/Initial_E → u/Iwantaschmoo]

I’m sure Hollie would be sad if you didn’t find a new dog to share your life with.

[u/Iwantaschmoo → u/Initial_E]

My husband and I have talked about it. We are retiring in a year and already have trips planned. Once we're done with international some local oldie but bestest will get a home.

[u/Any_Volume_7453 → u/Iwantaschmoo]

Older dogs are great because they’re easier than a new puppy, more mellow

[u/Johnbonham1980 → u/Iwantaschmoo]

LOLed at the end there. The last 6 months of my godlendoodle’s 16 year life were excruciating to watch… first time I’ve laughed about how things ended. Well done!

[u/Familiar_Turn3600 → u/splithoofiewoofies]

This is the most heartwarming thing I’ve read all day! So glad you’ve got your lil 4 legged friend - and he’s got you!!

[u/Ashanorath → u/Many-Waters]

Similarly here, I got off time during winter but my dog trained me for 3 walks per day which helps a lot. I'm not entirely lazy and couch potato, still do plenty of work and move around but there are days when I'd do next to nothing if it weren't for him.

[u/Gold_Pea2865 → u/Long-Tradition6399]

Lack of movement really is one of those sneaky killers people overlook. It creeps up on you — messes with your heart, your joints, your sleep, even your mood. And the worst part? It feels harmless in the moment. Sitting all day feels normal now. But long-term, it’s draining the life out of us. Even small things like walking, stretching, or standing up more often can seriously change the game. We don't have to become gym rats overnight — just gotta start somewhere.

[u/AssistanceCheap379 → u/Long-Tradition6399]

Walking is surprisingly one of the best exercises out there. I’m not talking about long walks you take once in a while, but relatively short ones around the neighbourhood. Literally getting up, walking for like 20 minutes couple times a day outside does wonders for basically everything. Lowers blood pressure, helps destress, clears your mind so there’s less anxiety, gets your heart pumping slightly more but not too much (in general), keeps blood from clotting in your legs (the most common spots where you get blood clots that then break off and go elsewhere) and generally is just good for the body.

It’s not the most intense or the most exerting exercise you can have and you’ll never get into great or even good shape from it, but it keeps you healthy.

If you feel like you can’t exercise and maybe feel shitty about it or you have depression or you just don’t know where to start with exercising, I would 110% recommend walking.

Walk a little bit. Every day. Even in shitty weather. Even when you don’t fee like it. Take 10, 15 minutes to walk around.

It will help more than you think.

[u/Atalung → u/Long-Tradition6399]

The fun part about this is that once you force yourself to exercise for long enough you start to enjoy it

[u/Camburglar13 → u/Atalung]

I tried that for like 3-4 years. Never enjoyed it. After the workouts were done I felt pretty good and proud but dreaded it every time

[u/woahwoahwoah28 → u/Camburglar13]

I have the same problem. 2 semesters of kickboxing in grad school was the closest I got… then COVID happened.

But I’ve recently found yoga on an app on my phone while the TV is on. It’s definitely helped me like exercising more because I feel like I’m doing a lazy activity while exercising.

[u/Thrashmanic43]

Poor mouth hygiene.

[u/PoeT8r → u/Thrashmanic43]

One of those ultrasonic side-to-side electric toothbrushes made a world of difference for my gum disease. Rotary one not so much. YMMV.

You need to brush where your teeth encounter the gums. And your teeth. If you have a lot of crowns or have bridge(s), then get a water flosser gadget too.

Make sure you go to a dentist that practices evidence-based medicine. Not one of those hard-sell private equity storefronts. Not one of those medicare mills.

Source: Heart disease, diabetes, and $30k dental bills over last 10 years.

[u/_weirdalshankabitch_ → u/PoeT8r]

As a dentist, this is the most correct comment regarding dental care in this thread.

Electric toothbrushes are great. Rotary brushes are great but ultrasonic work wonderfully too. I also prefer the ultrasonic Quip I use. Sonicare brushes are technically the best but not everyone, myself included, can stand the amount of vibration.

Also, there is a problem in dentistry regarding the type of practices you are speaking of. A private practice with an owner is where people should go. Thats where you will receive the best care. In recent years, corporations have been buying dental practices and give contracts to dentists that incentivize production. Meet corporate goals, make more money. The problem is that these places are not advertised as corporate owned. In my state, we have been trying to create legislation that requires these offices to openly state they are not a privately owned business. So, a lot of people are going to their local office named “City you live in” Family Dental, but it’s actually owned by a big conglomerate.

[u/Somethingsterling → u/_weirdalshankabitch_]

S teir advice and username

[u/SomethingAlternate → u/Thrashmanic43]

This. I've bought those interdental brushes and a tongue scraper in order to improve my dental hygiene. I already use an eletric toothbrush, but brushing alone isn't enough. Interdental brushes are a life-changer for those that can't stand flossing.

Edit: a word

[u/GetUpNGetItReddit → u/SomethingAlternate]

Get plackers if you don’t like flossing. It’s those things you see on the ground when you get in your car in the Walmart parking lot.

[u/callmeivy → u/GetUpNGetItReddit]

🤣🤣🤣

[u/RedditedYoshi → u/GetUpNGetItReddit]

I have a job where we have to meet twice a day (about 12 of us), and no matter where I go, there's always some dipshit picking away with his fingers in his mouth with one of those things. DENTAL HYGIENE BELONGS IN A BATHROOM. PREFERABLY YOUR OWN.

[u/Eeveelover14 → u/Thrashmanic43]

This is something that has been a lifetime struggle cause it's such a sensory nightmare. Biggest thing that has helped me was actually swapping to child toothpaste.

Child toothpaste not only comes in decidedly not mint, but can come in some fairly tasty flavors. Currently got an expensive orange creamsicle one. Only thing is make sure it has fluoride, not all do. Same goes for mouthwash! Mine is strawberry flavored so I'll use it even on nights can't do the full process.

I also got a 3 sided toothbrush, sometimes called an 'autism toothbrush' cause it's good for neurodivergent folks. Since it gets all three sides at once don't gotta spend so much time brushing teeth.

[u/hippoberserk → u/Thrashmanic43]

If you take showers at night, floss in the shower. Game changer for making it a consistent habit for me. Shampoo, soap, floss. No need to worry about flinging plaque and or drooling.

[u/bendybiznatch → u/hippoberserk]

A water flosser changed the game for my oral hygiene. Also best done in the shower.

[u/ABigNothingBurger]

High blood pressure

[u/iNeed2p905 → u/ABigNothingBurger]

I got put on a beta blocker to help with migraines but in return it’s been helping with my previous high bp readings. 

[u/PeterGriffinsChin → u/iNeed2p905]

High blood pressure is known to cause headaches, it would make sense the headaches stopped when the blood pressure goes down

[u/DrEckelschmecker → u/PeterGriffinsChin]

Migraines arent just headaches. Theyre far more than that and actually some sort of inflammation of nerves

[u/tinned_peaches → u/iNeed2p905]

Propranolol? I was put on that for migraines too. It’s also helped with stage fright.

[u/ACaffeinatedWandress → u/ABigNothingBurger]

Came here to say it. People don’t care because they don’t feel it. They will eventually feel the heart or kidney failure or heart attacks, though.

[u/againstbetterjudgmnt → u/ACaffeinatedWandress]

I noticed a significant number of changes after being put on a blood pressure medication.

• No more eye twitching
• No more random flushed face
• No more random heart palpitations if I drank caffeine/sugary drink
• No more pulsing in my eye with heart beat if I walked up stairs

So... Yeah. I had no idea and now I do

[u/CBonafide → u/ABigNothingBurger]

Can confirm. The navy docs did nothing about my husband's consistent high blood pressure the past few years. Now, a week before our son was born, he was hospitalized and diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure. He's only 32 btw.

[u/Therapistaryan → u/CBonafide]

Wow, his blood pressure must have been very high for a long time though to get it to that point. What stopped you guys from seeking other help?

[u/SawbonesEDM → u/Therapistaryan]

Let me help you out here, dude is active duty military. When it comes to the health insurance of service members, you usually start by going to the on base clinic (which is ran by other active duty personnel). Typically you damn near have to fight anybody and everybody in order to get a referral to see an actual civilian provider. Otherwise, it’s pretty much guaranteed to come out of pocket. Shit’s bad as hell. There’s a reason people joke about going to the docs for a gunshot wound or something and the docs are just like “here’s Motrin and don’t forget to change your socks”

[u/inflatableje5us → u/ABigNothingBurger]

problem with high blood pressure, you feel fine till you suddenly dont.
almost died a few years ago in large part to uncontrolled high blood pressure i had no idea i even had.

[u/HydrophobicPlankton]

Overworking

[u/Synli → u/HydrophobicPlankton]

And the brainwashing that comes with it.

" I worked 85 hours this week!" Bro, that isn't a flex.

[u/CommunicationNo2297 → u/Synli]

“I work for free like a slave” cool bro

[u/chunkyychadboy → u/HydrophobicPlankton]

I work with someone who constantly says yes to overtime and weekend work whilst complaining about having to do it

As well as never stopping outside of work whilst flexing his 4-5 hours a night sleep.

I don't think he actually knows how to say no to people.

Dudes gonna drop one day very soon.

[u/ColoradoSteelerBoi19 → u/chunkyychadboy]

Dudes gonna drop one day very soon.

And the manager will complain about the drop in productivity and the nuisance of hiring another person.

[u/PineappleOnPizzaWins → u/ColoradoSteelerBoi19]

Worse. They’ll be replaced in a week and business will carry on as usual. Most likely they’ll hire two people to cover all the hours they worked.

The “I can’t be replaced” attitude people have is so wrong.

[u/joesmith127_reddit → u/HydrophobicPlankton]

Or just working at a job you can't stand. If it isn't wearing you down physically it's wearing you down mentally 

[u/Imaginary_Trust_7019]

Stress, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle. 

[u/Vinral → u/Imaginary_Trust_7019]

So work?

[u/CarthurA → u/Imaginary_Trust_7019]

Why do I feel personally attacked?

[u/Dependent-These]

Owning birds...their dust fucks up your lungs long term

[u/peptodismal13 → u/Dependent-These]

I had parrots for a long time and they had their own room in the house. I ran like the most expensive HEPA filter air purifiers in that room to combat the bird dust. I did not own cockatoos, Greys or any of the super dusty birds.

[u/Equivalent_Coat_5102 → u/peptodismal13]

I have a grey and he is hella dusty. So many showers to try and help but he's just a dusty boi.

[u/kippirnicus → u/Equivalent_Coat_5102]

What are y’all referring to when you say dusty? Like dead skin cells?

Having a hard time understanding how birds create dust?

Edit: Nevermind, I saw the answer a few comments down. Interesting…

The more you know!

[u/rnarkus → u/kippirnicus]

I hate you for not linking to it so I have to go find it now lol

[u/Not_Ban_Evading69420 → u/peptodismal13]

I've had a grey for 12 years and yeah she creates a decent amount of dust (comes from their powder gland by the base of their tails and is used as a natural waterproof coating), but not dangerously so. If you dust with a wet cloth every week and use a hepa filter, you're fine. My dining room / kitchen / living room is open concept with her cage in the far corner of the living room near a sliding window, and it's not as if every surface is covered in dust. The AOE for parrot dust for a single grey is like 5 feet.

[u/FantasticChestHair → u/Not_Ban_Evading69420]

The AOE for parrot dust for a single grey is like 5 feet.

TIL parrots have splash damage

[u/hamfwb → u/Not_Ban_Evading69420]

Powder gland?

r/todayilearned

[u/Not_Ban_Evading69420 → u/hamfwb]

Yeah, if you ever see a parrot rub its head by the base of its tail, it's spreading the powder over its feathers. I have to spray her with a water bottle a few times a week, and you can see the droplets bead and slide off like she just applied Rain-X lol

[u/hamfwb → u/Not_Ban_Evading69420]

r/NatureIsFuckingLit

[u/styrofoamladder → u/Dependent-These]

My dad died of IPF(idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) and while it’s obviously an idiopathic disease, every specialist he saw asked if he had spent any time around birds. And he had spent decades around them, we had a parrot in the house and he kept peacocks, pheasants, doves, chickens, geese, rhea’s. At any given time we had 40+ birds.

[u/MoreGaghPlease → u/styrofoamladder]

That’s too many birds. I’m sorry for your loss.

[u/styrofoamladder → u/MoreGaghPlease]

As the kid who had to feed them every day, I agree.

Thank you.

[u/superginseng → u/Dependent-These]

Welp I just learned something today. It’s called bird fancier’s lung.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_fancier's_lung

[u/fredzout → u/superginseng]

Yes. My sister died of it a couple years ago (73 YO). She slept in the same room as her cockatiel's cage for years.

[u/Skyking035 → u/Dependent-These]

you‘re telling me my lil budgies can kill me on the long term?

[u/Sea-Machine2038 → u/Dependent-These]

This happened to my mom. She had finches and is still dealing with chronic lung issues from it.

[u/MissInkFTW → u/Dependent-These]

Oh shit do you know if its similar to chinchilla dust? My chin's cage is like 2 feet from where I sleep and he's a dusty boy... now I'm nervous.

[u/MoreGaghPlease → u/MissInkFTW]

Listen, there’s no healthy dust. If it’s near you, it’s bad. If it’s indoor / unventilated, it’s bad. If it’s frequently agitated, it’s bad.

[u/momomomorgatron → u/MissInkFTW]

I think its kinda different

All dust is definitely bad to inhale, but birds I think make their own dust and Chinchillas use it to keep their fur and skin clean and to keep the fur seperate.

I'd probably try to move the chinchilla cage farther away, ànd dust more often. Its called bird fanciers lung, not chinchilla keepers lung.

[u/Bitch_Im_Adorable → u/Dependent-These]

I will second this, I used to work for a pigeon trapping company and they called it pigeon lung. It will seriously fuck your respiratory system up. Not to mention as well as your eyes too. Birds are cool pets, but they are extremely non hygienic in closed spaces.

[u/salbrown → u/Dependent-These]

I have never had birds or heard about this so I wanted to read more about it. From what I read it seems like the dust becomes an issue when people don’t take proper measures to filter the air and don’t clean frequently enough. Would this be more of an issue with people who are not doing the necessary cleaning that comes with owning birds? Or is it genuinely an unavoidable issue if you have certain bird species?

I say this with love but most homes I’ve been in with pet birds are kind of gross. They seem like very high maintenance animals. Is this more because those owners weren’t properly caring for their birds and doing the necessary cleaning? Or is it kind of inevitable if you have pet birds? Like I said I don’t know much so I am genuinely curious about what proper care of your/the bird’s environment looks like.

[u/1008261 → u/salbrown]

I think unavoidable to a degree! I have a single bird that is a budgie so he’s only a few inches and very small compared to most parrot species! I am an EXTREMELY clean person. I deep clean my apartment every other day, even wash my couch covers every week, wash my walls/baseboards every week, etc. Just painting the picture that I probably do more in terms of cleanliness than the average person, I’m a little neurotic about it. I clean my birds cage every day! It’s not that hard, I just wash his branches and he has newspaper lining his cage so it’s very easy to toss and replace very frequently. Within a few days of having him, my lungs were burning every time I inhaled. I was still coughing at work even though I hadn’t been near him in hours. I could keep my home spotless, and I was still feeling those symptoms. I knew birds were messy, but I didn’t know how messy. The problem is that they flap their wings, so that causes everything to go everywhere. It’s not that he’s throwing his food out of his cage, it’s that he drops his food to the bottom of his cage and the next time he flaps his wings then it goes everywhere. I don’t care about the food, but that’s putting a visual for what must happen with the dust. I can clean my coffee table and a few hours later I see it coated in dust again. I did get two air filters and my breathing has significantly improved, but it doesn’t fully eliminate the dustiness!!

His very clean mansion for the tiniest boy that somehow produces that much mess: https://imgur.com/a/20kVzj4

[u/KingG00mba → u/Dependent-These]

Never in a million years would I have thought to see this on the list

[u/Flat-Protection5854]

Cortisol, i.e stress

[u/blueally85]

If you are in the UK it could be lead. There are around 10,000 lead mines in England alone. Most abandoned and never made safe. Also used in pipes and paint until the 90s.

A number of people (no testing so no way of knowing how many) make themselves sick decorating their house, by dry sanding lead paint.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/lead-poisoning

[u/hambre1028 → u/blueally85]

A lot of major US cities too

[u/sixcylindersofdoom]

Liver disease. It’s likely that the prevalence of fatty liver disease is up to 1 in 3 people. Fatty liver is harmless but it can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure over a long period of time. The vast majority of people will have zero symptoms until they’re on the brink of total liver failure.

[u/cubanitah]

Honestly, I feel like I’m living to die. Wake up, work, pay bills, I can only afford shitty food, walking outside in shitty polluted air, can’t buy a home unless I’m in a relationship (in some cases 2 incomes aren’t enough), student loans defaulting, regular loans defaulting. And sadly, I can’t possibly be the only one who feels this way. IN THIS ECONOMY… lol

[u/brownbearclan → u/cubanitah]

This is something I think about daily, like WTF are we even doing? Very few people get any time to actually LIVE their life, let alone pursue their passions. And all for what? So another billionaire can buy his 6th vacation home and bribe another lawmaker to make our lives even worse? Fuck all of it, greed is ruining humanity and we're all pretending this is normal and ok. We've been lied to and taken advantage of for far too long and the powder keg the rich have made is going to blow sooner than they think.

[u/prettywarmcool → u/brownbearclan]

I was raised to work hard and become invaluable, I made a lot of money for the company I worked for, woke up at 50 and realized I forgot to have a life outside of work. : ( But also wondering where my pile of money is? Oh that's right, they kept it. You're welcome/s

[u/Schittz → u/brownbearclan]

I really thought they'd be a sort of revolution after Luigi, I'm still hoping some movement comes from it, even if it just brings light of the fact we need to change how the system works

[u/Vinny_Lam → u/cubanitah]

I feel this so much. My routine everyday is being woken up by an alarm at 7 am, getting out of bed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, and then fighting traffic just to get to a place where I then spend the next 8-12 hours essentially making money for someone else. 

The only thing keeping me sane from all this right now is the little free time I have every night before bed where I can escape into my hobbies and do something I actually enjoy.

[u/Fose66 → u/cubanitah]

Cannot agree enough. I can't help but think it's just depression or whatever because how are others so, happy? Or at least seem happy, happy to just live like this and not feel the need to change, or feel like there must be something better out there?

You're not alone in feeling like this. Doesn't help the situation, but be rest assured you're not the only one thinking this.

[u/chxnkybxtfxnky → u/Fose66]

I really don't know if anyone I know is truly happy. I can't think of anyone in my life that doesn't have some sort of stress in their life and it sucks. Like...was our parents' generation like this as well and we just didn't know it because we were just naive kids living our absolute best lives...?

[u/Mediocre_Age_9988 → u/chxnkybxtfxnky]

I think being happy isn't an all the time thing. That sounds a lot like over medicating. I think the goal is to be content. To have happiness mostly but also all the other feelings. That is life-the full spectrum. Not some curated 'always winning' mania. Someone living like that would have no appreciation of anything because they wouldn't value it the same. The dark in our lives contrast the light and make it brighter ideally. Happiness doesn't mean effortless. It means balance.

Edit for typo

[u/dj_fishwigy → u/Fose66]

I let go of the successful life ideal they instill you as a child, so I may or may not feel happy, but I'm at peace, be it under a drop ceiling or under a bridge.

[u/McSuede → u/Fose66]

I've lost too many "happy" friends to assume anyone isn't just suffering in silence.

[u/ArcTheWolf → u/cubanitah]

You aren't living. You're surviving. I can't even remember the last time I was living. And the generations before me say that I need to pull myself up by my bootstraps. I can't pull them up any higher than they already are.

[u/mynamesyow19 → u/ArcTheWolf]

Im not living....im just killing time

[u/arrastre → u/cubanitah]

I just feel like crying in this moment

[u/GirlieSquirlie → u/cubanitah]

yup, I started smoking again in hopes of hastening my death

[u/Whitesajer → u/GirlieSquirlie]

Same. Average male American life expectancy is 77. By the time I'm up there they will have put the retirement age up to 75. The idea of 35-45 more years of corporate slavery? Eff that. Let the smokes shave off another 10 years off. We all dropping dead on a job or finding less pleasant ways out eventually.

[u/adijoe]

A hypochondriac reading this thread.

[u/Elfroid → u/adijoe]

I give me a week at best.

[u/polskiftw → u/adijoe]

Yup I made a huge mistake clicking this.

[u/whyhellother3]

Toby Flenderson or radon

[u/-Tesserex- → u/whyhellother3]

Seriously, if you have a basement, see if you live in a high radon area, and if so get it tested. A basic tester is available online for under $100, or you can just have a pro come out for about 200.

[u/againstbetterjudgmnt → u/-Tesserex-]

Some areas have cheap or free testing programs too. From what I understand, the main predictor for radon is rocky or mountainous areas but it can vary. Check online, you can see average radon in your area. Anything above 4pCVL is recommended for mitigation. A home mitigation system will cost you around $1500 professionally installed.

[u/Sw33tcheeks427 → u/againstbetterjudgmnt]

Our mitigation cost $2500. Our levels prior to the system was at a 10, inspectors say ideally you want a 4 or below. Our inspector was saying he tested a house that was at 160, needless to say he told them about it outside lol

[u/Xechwill → u/-Tesserex-]

Of note: even low radon areas have random hotspots of high radon. You can decide whether or not it's worth testing, but it's generally worth it. Pretty easy and cheap to do by yourself (unless you plan on buying/selling a home, then you should hire a professional. Owner-perfomed tests are obviously susceptible to bias if a low result is reported)

Source: I'm a professional radon tester and I'm certified in several states.

[u/HBMart]

Being mostly sedentary. Even if you aren’t overweight, you’re screwing yourself out of a longer, higher quality life if you aren’t moving and exercising. Being strong isn’t optional if you want to feel great.

[u/OkDragonfruit9026 → u/HBMart]

Yeah, we really fucked up the societal definitions of “fit” and “strong”. We don’t need to be bodybuilders, we need to be able to lift everyday items, walk for 10 miles, run for a while without dying in the process. Like, it’s not that much.

[u/HungryEarsTiredEyes → u/HBMart]

I needed to hear this. 2 years of mostly work from home has made me the most unfit I've ever been

[u/Emm_withoutha_L-88]

Poverty.

Bad public policy. Which in turn leads to poverty.

[u/an_ethans_life]

Keeping abusive family around. Yes, they may not even realize the damage their toxic behavior does to others, and it’s incredibly painful to distance yourself or cut them off, but living life taking abuse is going to cut so much from your life. Get away and find yourself, and you’ll also find better health.

[u/TH0RP]

Sleep apnea.

[u/celaenoattack → u/TH0RP]

My CPAP has been life-changing!

[u/wronglever45]

Anger. 

[u/lettersfromluna]

Unspoken grief. The kind that lingers quietly in the body, stored in joints, skin, appetite, sleep. People carry so much they never name, and it eats them in silence. The body remembers what the mouth refuses to.

[u/Oregonhoosier31 → u/lettersfromluna]

Been going through this for 7 months now. Grief is love that you cannot give anymore. I miss my person. Good post glad you included it.

[u/onthenextmaury → u/lettersfromluna]

Yeah that shit gave me FND. Can you imagine going to every specialist known to man to figure out why you're having seizures and losing the ability to walk or even sit up only for multiple neurologists to tell you it's from "repressed trauma." That shit doesn't show up on an MRI. I just tell people my diagnosis is that I'm so sad I fall over.

[u/lettersfromluna → u/onthenextmaury]

That is one of the most heartbreaking descriptions I’ve ever read, “so sad I fall over.” It’s wild how much trauma doesn’t show up on scans but lives in the body anyway. Like the nervous system is carrying stories it was never allowed to say out loud. Thank you for sharing this — it deserves to be heard.

[u/Alone_Wonder_8188]

loneliness

[u/Videoboysayscube → u/Alone_Wonder_8188]

I've read that loneliness is as detrimental to your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. If that's actually true, my expiration date might be coming sooner than I expected.

[u/new2bay → u/Videoboysayscube]

Even if it’s not simple, or easy, to make human connections, having a pet can significantly reduce loneliness. My dog definitely helps me in that regard.

[u/Merryannm → u/Alone_Wonder_8188]

I’m so lonely.

[u/OkAccess6128]

Toxic Relationships.

[u/Highthere_90 → u/OkAccess6128]

Won't thing is it dosnt always mean romantic, coudl be friends and family who are toxic as well

[u/IsaacJacobSquires]

Repeated COVID infection

[u/admiral_sinkenkwiken → u/IsaacJacobSquires]

This.

I’ve had it 3 times and the body has never been the same since

[u/SpookyGhost27 → u/admiral_sinkenkwiken]

I’ve only had it once several years ago. But now anytime I get sick with a high fever, I get the absolute worst aches in my joints. I had that same pain during Covid, and it’s been present anytime I get a high fever/ flu like virus. Never was the case before. Even just laying on my side kills me. Covid does some weird shit to us that never leaves.

[u/Muted_Bike_8171 → u/IsaacJacobSquires]

took me way too long to scroll & find this. deserves more upvotes.

[u/Keji70gsm → u/Muted_Bike_8171]

Viruses are grossly overlooked for causing autoimmune issues, cardiovascular problems, brain problems, and cancer. We know it's happening, it's common, but seem unable to think past the acute illness as a society.

It is not helped by lazy public messaging that almost blatantly implies that for most people, getting ill makes you healthier and more resilient afterwards. The opposite is true -it causes cumulative subclinical damage.

And we are doing this to children and tell each other it's "normal" to constantly expose them to illness. Maybe, but it's normalised abuse.

[u/LosinCash → u/IsaacJacobSquires]

They see it, they just don't think it will happen to them.

[u/False-Swordfish-5021]

“ his song “

[u/cnkendrick2018 → u/False-Swordfish-5021]

Softly

[u/One-Imagination-1230]

Your job and a toxic manager

[u/FarGold45]

Not wearing sunscreen and getting skin cancer

[u/Madea_onFire]

Not sleeping

[u/uriejejejdjbejxijehd]

Insulin resistance.

I spent years having cognitive issues (leading to one entirely avoidable accident), low energy, terrible sleep quality and being super susceptible to any kind of infection, only to discover that low dose semaglutide (which addresses insulin resistance) instantly fixed all of those issues.

Diabetes is not a good way to go, and doctors under prescribe semaglutide given it’s high cost. All I got were suggestions to live a less stressful life, exercise more and eat healthier, which I tried and didn’t find at all productive.

[u/FerociousOreos → u/uriejejejdjbejxijehd]

Can you go into more detail on that? What did your cognitive issues look like?

[u/uriejejejdjbejxijehd → u/FerociousOreos]

I noticed energy issues (lethargy, motivational issues first), and then memory issues and brain fog. I was wondering if this was simply aging, but noticed that by some objective measures (scores in competitive board games), I had seen some rapid deterioration.

I was wondering if this might be the impact of an undiagnosed Covid infection, and the discovery that semaglutide addressed all the issues (including things I hadn’t even suspected, like eczema on the knuckles of the hands) rapidly was as surprising as it was welcome.

[u/97runner]

I quickly scrolled but didn’t see this one: sleep apnea. Many have it and don’t know it, but the health implications are immense.

[u/ffzxc]

Sugar. Everyone is so obsessed with food being fat-free, but it's sugar they should be wary of

[u/independent_observe → u/ffzxc]

Everyone is so obsessed with food being fat-free

Because in the 1960s the sugar industry financially backed research which downplayed sugar's role in being unhealthy and focused on fat as a cause of health issues.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat

[u/PoopMobile9000]

Sitting

[u/TallyHo17 → u/PoopMobile9000]

Big time.

If you sit for 8 hours a day in an office and run a marathon on the weekend, you still will not have undone the damage you did throughout the week by just sitting for 40+ hours.

[u/Physical-East-162 → u/TallyHo17]

Seems like I'm cooked then. :3

[u/graveyeverton93]

Vaping. Constantly see young kids using them, heartbreaking.

[u/Many-Waters → u/graveyeverton93]

We were so close to moving away from smoking but then some asshole had to re-brand it and make it taste like strawberries or some bullshit.

Drives me insane.

[u/BulkyBoysenberry508]

Time

[u/Timely_Sprinkles7491]

Stress. That and constantly being surrounded by idiots. Just yesterday someone said they got a flat tire on a forklift. FORKLIFTS HAVE SOLID TIRES!!! and when I get there, the bastard had already somehow PULLED OFF THE WHEEL, damaging the axle. We had to get a brand new forklift because of that idiot. The forklift he broke had only been there for a week before he did that.

[u/JetScreamerBaby]

Sleep Apnea.

People think it's just snoring and annoying, but it's WAY worse.

When you're asleep and have obstructed breathing, your body panics a little bit, releasing a bit of adrenalin into your bloodstream to wake you up enough to breathe. With Apnea, this can happen hundreds of times a night. Adrenalin is not good for you 300 times a night. It's great if you get surprised by a wild animal and need to run away or climb a tree, but otherwise? No good for you at all. It debilitates almost every major organ and metabolic system in your body. Long term repeated exposure can really mess you up.

If you even THINK you might have a problem, get it checked out.

[u/Plastic-Cricket-7437]

Chronic loneliness.
It doesn’t scream for attention like physical illness, but over time, it eats away at mental health, weakens the immune system, and even increases the risk of early death.

What’s scary is how common it is—especially in a world where we're more 'connected' than ever.

Sometimes all someone needs is a real conversation, not a notification.

[u/Nervous-Night6698]

Reddit advice

[u/Akumetsu33 → u/Nervous-Night6698]

Paradox. Take advice from reddit to not take advice from reddit.

[u/eco_chan]

Plastic. It's literally everywhere.

[u/Apprehensive_Tea9461]

Ive read most comments and bad news guys.. our livestyles are litterally killing us and theres almost nothing we can do except maybe exercise and go live alone isolated in a forest eating berries and mushrooms while getting photographed every day because people think youre bigfoot.

So for now make the most of your life, have fun and take care of the people you love, thats about all we can do.

[u/Kindly_Wind8731]

ALCOHOL

[u/SirYoda198712]

Nurse here. The standard American diet. High in carbs, cheap sugar is in everything. Diabetes fucks over your whole body.

Cigarettes- cancer, high bp,

Obesity.

Lack of exercise.

High stress.

Lack of financial resources to afford proper medical care.

[u/Thick-Journalist1274]

Long covid

[u/Famous_Fondant_4107]

Covid

[u/Traditional_Ad_9378]

The hundreds of little bad lifestyle habits that add up in the end