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The uncomfortable truth that we all want to avoid is that someday, we’ll all die. However, until that moment comes, it’s up to us to ensure that our lives have purpose and meaning, that we leave behind a positive legacy, and that we get to enjoy as many awesome things as we can. The longer we live, the more time we have to do all of those fun things with great people. That’s why we take care of our health and avoid taking dumb risks.

However, when you sit down and think about it, there are far more risks to our health out there than many of us realize—and many of them aren’t all that apparent. Redditor u/adventure21mc started up a viral thread on the r/AskReddit online group, asking internet users about the things that cause death “more than people realize,” and many shared their thoughts. You’ll probably be more careful in the future, as you’ll never look at things like driving while sleepy and avoiding treating dental problems the same way again.

Keep in mind, though, that the purpose of this article isn’t to make you scared, simply to make you more aware of what reality can be like, without any frills. There is no such thing as being ‘perfectly safe.’ We can do our best to avoid many dangers, and we shouldn’t stop living our lives because we’re too frightened of getting hurt.

We reached out to redditor u/adventure21mc for a friendly chat about their viral thread, how to balance safety with living to the fullest, and how to make life feel more purposeful. The OP was kind enough to answer Bored Panda's questions. "I think my post resonated with many people due to them discovering that many common causes of death go unreported or underreported. While I did get a few responses I was expecting (alcoholism, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.), I did not know stairs and tripping kill thousands of people every year," they said.

"In addition, what inspired me to make this post was the hundreds of thousands of people who die every year due to medical malpractice, which is a very common form of death that nevertheless goes underreported or ignored by society." Read on for the rest of our interview with the author of the thread.

#1

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Texting and driving.

AdditionalCheetah354 , drazenphoto Report

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Hawkmoon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This must be on top! Because it also causes other people to die for a totally stupid and selfish behavior.

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#2

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Covid. People don't take it seriously enough. They don't mask. They don't get vaccinated.

One of my friends lost two members of her family at the same time from covid - and both of them were fairly young people, not old people.

Covid can also mess you up. One of my family members has long covid, and she has been seriously damaged now for seven months. Sleeps 16 hours a day, has trouble eating, brain fog, weakness.

Covid kills and it also cripples, and people pretend we aren't still in the middle of a pandemic. They act like it's no big deal.

It's a big deal.

Petal_Chatoyance , seventyfourimages Report

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Lady Perkele
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guys, I lost both of my parents in 2020, my dad was old. My mom was 45 and has a brain stroke after recovering from it. Before any vaccines were made... I had a miscarriage and almost died to. People takes it as a joke. I saw what covid did inside hospitals, and people chocking in elevators... I lost so much is unbearable, never underestimate your enemy...

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MauKini
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sorry this happend to you and your family. I hope you have good friend that help(ed) you through this horrible time. all the best for you, you truely deserve nothing but happiness for the rest of you life.

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PigSquatch
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had COVID for a month, yes fully boosted and everything. I am still trying to recover, sleep is screwy, can't get back to work. Brain fog, depression, just general exhaustion. This is not a fun trip.

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Greenmantle
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a very weird virus. I work with Covid patients and the many body systems it affects is bizarre

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DE Ray
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the things now being understood - COVID isn't just an infection in itself, but an activator. You caught something mild years ago and the virus has been living in you benignly since? Well, now it wants to try again. Multiply that by dozens of minor infections, and it can hit you like a truck.

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Lady Perkele
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes... my mother had a blood clot problem. She got covid. 2 weeks later brain stroke....

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Nat of Clan P
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have an auto-immune disease and from day one have been really worried about Covid. I have a friend who has acted like it's no big deal from the word go, even when she and her family were all really ill with it, she still told me I was being over the top. Sigh. I guess you just can't help/educate some people.

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Rick
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still wear a mask in crowded situations and avoid crowded areas.

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RedRum
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ever since having covid I've felt out of breath and had a cough that just won't shift .. it has a hold of me for good it seems :(

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Corvus
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People don't take it seriously until someone actually dies... at which point it's already too late.

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The Blinking Duck
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband is immunosuppressed and his doctor told us we would ALWAYS be "Under pandemic protocol". You wouldn't believe the c**p we take for this. We've lost family members and friends because of it and my work makes me ask EVERY TIME if there's a zoom option for meetings and one supervisor said "Oh are you STILL doing that?"

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tuzdayschild
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work in an intensive care unit. Over the past 2.5 yrs, I've seen a heartbreaking about of deaths from 18 yrs on up.

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for your service! That has to be one of the most horrible jobs out there. Sending lots of love!!

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Mario Strada
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A friend of my wife "didn't have time to get vaccinated". She gets COVID and is hospitalized. On a friday evening, my wife calls her, as she did almost daily. She is upbeat and says she is going to be released over the weekend. She feels a lot better. She dies the next day. My wife is still traumatized. I didn't know her as well. I know she wasn't one of the looney toons, just busy with other things and at 45 she didn't think COVID was an issue for her. Boy, was she wrong.

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Ericthedead
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have nothing against a mask or the vaccine. I wore a mask when inside around people.Never got the shot but that was just cause I never went. Don’t have strong feelings one way or another.Just where I live no one seemed or seems to care. I caught covid twice but was asymptomatic and barely noticed. Guess I was lucky. When I started traveling for work again I realized how different it was in Arkansas then some other states. Edit: I know one guy that said he was sicker than he had ever been before. But I don’t know anyone that died or is still dealing with it like some folks have long Covid. I’m sure there are many but no one I know or anyone I know ,knows. Our hospitals weren’t full or anything whenever I went to see my Dr.I had knee surgery right in the middle of the whole thing and the nurses said they hadn’t seen anything as bad as NY or other places were reporting. Guess I live in an area that wasn’t hit hard. I’m not denying Covid or any dumb s**t like that. I know it’s real and has killed a lot of people.

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BeepBeepBoopBoop
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

your area definitely seems very lucky, and that's such and amazing thing! I personally think you're doing amazing with dealing with all of this. I recommend getting the vaccine unless there's a reason you can't! <3

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Benita Valdez
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lost both my parents and my best friend has long term affects; asthma being the biggest and she never had any lung or breathing issues before covid. My whole life had been turned upside down because of inconsiderate selfish āssholes. And yes, I'm very bitter.

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Covid caused my heart to short-circuit and now I have a pacemaker. I'm too young to have a pacemaker!

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Mani Lacao
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Covid is so weird, I have two auto-immune diseases and had like no symptoms at all the three times I got it

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Fennecfoxcat
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have had multiple teacher and students at school tell me that I didn't need to wear a mask anymore you know (in a condenseding tone) . One of those was my last science teacher who "didn't believe in vaccines". The ironic (and sad) thing about that is, she lost her mother and sister to COVID.

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Bender Bending Rodríguez
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

IMO "science teacher" and "didn't believe in vaccines" should not belong together when referring to an individual. Nothing good is coming out with that combination.

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Java Addict
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my cousins has permanent heart damage due to Covid (early 40s). That stuff is no joke.

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Sonja
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is a big deal, it is dangerous, it is endemic now. Just because it's still dangerous and we still need to be careful doesn't mean it's still pandemic. We have many illnesses out there that are very dangerous, very much destroy your health and definitely need to be taken seriously. But that doesn't make them pandemic. And on the other hand, just because an illness is pandemic, doesn't mean it's dangerous (which Covid definitely is). Still, we have to learn to live with Covid. Not in the sense we ignore that it exists or pretend it's not dangerous, but accepting that live still has to go on and that we can't live in permanent lockdown. Masks are fine, social distancing is fine to a point, hygienic procedures need to be respected and be in place. But can we please calm down a bit and stop the fear mongering? If we don't, we will drive even more people in the arms of the Covid deniers.

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Heather
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandmother died of Covid because a caretaker at her senior home couldn't do Thanksgiving without her "babies." AKA 20 something year old sons. She got it and didn't show symptoms till she had killed 13 people in the memory unit. (Exposed everyone before developing symptoms.) She lied about unmasked socializing. (This was 2020.) The posted pics from Thanksgiving bragging about how some "cold" wasn't gonna keep her away from her "babies." It's still killing people. So many people.

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Horst
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had Covid for about a week last April. I had both jabs (I don’t think boosters were really a thing yet but I can’t remember). Wasn’t too horrible thankfully but it was a pain trying to sleep because I’d need to stand up multiple times to unblock my nose. And I think it permanently did something to my taste because powder ice tea, which I used to love, has a plastic taste to it now. :/

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Ben Baker
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The thing about anti-vaxers are they all think the vaccine will kill them and they have had a big protest about someone dying and they had a vaccine so they are all blaming it on the vaccine.

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El Dee
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One day the government stopped giving out the figures for daily infections, they decided that they couldn't afford to keep us safe so now we just have to die..

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Powerful Katrinka
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I just looked up the Covid stats on the CDC website (4,000 deaths this week) and it took me about 30 seconds. Some scientists and doctors believe that the numbers of deaths are underreported, but that's because there is no consistency in how coroners determine the cause of death.

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jmdirks
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just a reminder: Fauchi wore a mask and received all covid vacs and still got covid FOUR times.

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Lyyyy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country covid epidemic is considered basically ”over” by now. Of course it won’t disappear, as it will become regular disease like the flu, but now health officials here say that no masks, home tests or distancing is needed for healthy persons. This will happen everywhere sooner or later.

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Anna Drever
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Too many people treating it like Covid’s over. Barely anyone wearing masks where I shop, so I do it as little as possible.

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Anne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well we just have to learn to live with it. It's not going away. Apparently being vaccinated does not stop the spread (98% is vaccinated here and it's still making rounds) and the bugger seems to change itself to new versions quicker than you can drink a glass of water. I'm glad I live super rural with not much chance to get any virus. I had it early on, so the original version. Horrible. do not recommend 0/10.

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Shannon Hawks
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

shut up about the vaccine. my body, my choice, same as it should be for abortion

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Stannous Flouride
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And by refusing a vax they help the d@mned things mutate into increasingly contagious and more severe strains.

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Let’s Go Brandon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We aren’t in a pandemic anymore. It’s as common as a cold and far less deadly than previous iterations. Get the vaccine and shut up already.

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Jungkookismine
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mask but my aunt got the vaccine and it killed her 7 month twins (they weren't born yet)

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D Peterson
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1 year ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I believe that if they choose to, suicide should be legal, but not if you take other people with you.

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#3

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Stress. Your body can only handle so much of it and it’s labeled the “silent killer” for that reason. With your high blood pressure and the 5 hours of sleep a night because of the stress, It will creep up on you sooner than you think.

DroppedDonut , vladans Report

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Waking up in the middle of the night with a heart thumping like mad... Being tired all the time, having things to do but just can't bc it's too hard to find motivation.

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Some people can feel completely overwhelmed, anxious, and fearful for their safety after hearing about all the potential risks waiting for them just going about their daily lives. Bored Panda wanted to get redditor u/adventure21mc's opinion on how to live one's life to the fullest, while also staying safe.

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"In my eyes, being alert and trusting your instincts is a good way to balance safety and living life well. While I don't think you should go through life being cynical about everything, having a backup plan and looking for potential warning signs in your life is a good way to avoid potential danger in death," they explained.

"While death may come for us all eventually, taking precautions and taking care of yourself physically and mentally is a good way of increasing your chances of having a longer lifespan."

#4

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Depression is responsible for 850,000 deaths anually.

heron27 , gpointstudio Report

#5

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Falling coconuts cause about 150 deaths annually

Coconuts [take out] around 150 people worldwide each year, which makes them about ten times more dangerous than sharks.

But the moment you suggest coconut week everyone acts like you're the weird one.

sublime_mime , Fahroni Report

#6

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Driving while sleepy.

latchkey_adult , nina_p_v Report

In the thread author's opinion, "life is about enjoyment and the memories we make. Life, to our current knowledge, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we should make use of that opportunity through memories (preferably good, though bad memories are inevitable)."

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They told Bored Panda that struggles in life are unavoidable and there will be many of them. However, "enjoying the world, making good memories, and forging relationships with friends and family will do wonders in living life to the fullest and making it more purposeful."

Redditor u/adventure21mc opened up to us that though they're happy that their post got so many upvotes and comments, they feel "a little embarrassed" that their "most upvoted comment on Reddit ever asked about a subject as dark and morbid as death."

#7

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think I legitimately say smoking cigarettes. I watched my mom (lung cancer), dad (bladder cancer), both grandfathers (lung and throat cancer), one grandmother ( brain cancer) and an aunt ( throat cancer but never smoked, had lived with smokers since birth)die very slowly and very painfully from decades of smoking/exposure. I smoked for 20+ years, quit 8 years ago while I was still in my 30s, but I have 2 older sisters that smoke like crazy and I hate to say it, but I am starting to see the really bad signs I saw with my other family members who passed.
If you smoke, it's going to [take you out].
Yeah, yeah, yeah.. you gotta die sometime, but do you really want it to be while you're gurgling words through a hole in your neck, begging for an extra push of morphine to dampen the pain as all your organs slowly fail?
Just. Quit.

remesabo , Wdnld Report

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Peppy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even if it’s a quick illness, like my dad ( lung, spine and brain cancer) it’s a horrible end that erases any happy memories of that person for a long time

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#8

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Untreated dental problems. A cavity left untreated can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Lastalmark , ADDICTIVE_STOCK Report

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Lizz
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree on that but dental care is super expensive for some people...

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#9

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Grief. People think it's a myth but you can die of a broken heart.

Bobkathead , Pressmaster Report

The fact of the matter is that there are many things that we simply can’t control. And that’s a problem because human beings want certainty and routine in their lives. They help us feel safe and ensure that we can plan for the future. So when something unpredictable happens to us, we can feel disappointed, frustrated, lost, and even traumatized, depending on the severity of the event.

However, the last thing that we want to do is to run away from these uncomfortable feelings. Instead, we ought to try embracing the fact that life on Planet Earth can be unpredictable and uncertain at times. Not everything will go to plan. Bad things happen to good people. We’ll never be prepared for all bad outcomes.

So we’re left with doing the best that we can and letting go of the need to control what’s essentially uncontrollable. We can change how we react to what’s happening to us and can adjust our expectations. Meanwhile, embracing the chaos can, in turn, help us become more resilient.

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The things that we can control include what we eat, how much we exercise and spend outdoors, whether we get enough sleep and practice good hygiene, as well as whether we have meaningful relationships with others, how we deal with stress, and what we do in our spare time. That's on top of being more aware of our surroundings (are you watching where you're going? Do you look both ways before crossing the street) and knowing the basics of what to do in case of an emergency.

#10

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think This is going to get buried since I’m answering so late in the game…

Not a cause of death, but still extremely important info that I am constantly telling others about: suffering a spinal cord injury from diving into water.

I’m a quadriplegic and run a nonprofit that works with people after they suffer a spinal cord injury. Other than car accidents, diving into water is the second most common cause for spinal cord injuries that we see. The worst part about it is that it is probably the most preventable cause.

I’m constantly amazed that people will dive into water without knowing how deep it is, or even just jumping headfirst into an oncoming wave on the beach. If you are going to dive into the water, dive straight out, not down so that your head will potentially hit the bottom or a submerged object that you didn’t know was there. If you have kids, teach this PLEASE!

tripelt , globetrotter_ Report

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Undercover
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have seen SO many YouTube videos of people careless driving in bodies of water with unknown depth (i. e. Flooded roads/areas , creeks...). Some of them just ruined their cars, others drowned. It's just baffling to see someone maneuvering around roadblocks or stopped vehicles "because this little water is no problem to conquer with my driving skills" 🤦‍♀️

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#11

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Homelessness.

So many people want to seem like they care, but nobody wants to face the grim fact that **hundreds, if not thousands, of people in America freeze to death on the streets in the winter.**

People are homeless for a variety of reasons; myself, I was getting away from abusers and had nowhere to go. I never got into hard drugs, but I easily could have, and many people do. That’s the thing—drug abuse usually doesn’t cause homelessness; homelessness consistently causes drug abuse.) And in that time I met people who became homeless due to disability, the death of a partner, the death of a parent, medical expenses from cancer treatments—and maybe literally 3-5 people who became homeless because of their drug habit, but they were VERY MUCH SO in the minority.

TheHierothot , Rawpixel Report

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Shark Lady
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When homeless it's very easy to drink or take drugs to block out what you are dealing with. I stuck with cannabis when I was homeless, but I could easily have taken something stronger. I did once try crack but really didn't like the come down so never did it again.

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#12

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Child birth. Oddly enough still somewhat dangerous. Obviously much safer than it used to be, but there can be pretty serious complications. People seem to think its totally risk free these days.

TheOddestOfSocks , nd3000 Report

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Fat Harry
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Safer than it used to be, depending on where you live. In the developed world, sure. In Somalia or Yemen? Not so much.

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According to the CDC’s data from 2020, the leading causes of death in the United States include heart disease (696,962 deaths), cancer (602,350), Covid-19 (350,831), accidents (200,955), stroke (160,264), and chronic lower respiratory diseases (152,657).

That year, Alzheimer’s disease claimed 134,242 lives. Diabetes killed 102,188 Americans, while influenza and pneumonia were responsible for the untimely death of 53,544 people. Nephritis (kidney inflammation), nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis also claimed the lives of 52,547 people.

#13

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Female heart attacks. We tend to feel pain from other places other than the chest. Never even realized it was a heart attack.

Nicole_Harper619 , svitlanah Report

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ISeeWendiGo
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I had my heart attack in November it was the last thing it never crossed my mind that was what was happening. I had pain in my back very similar to kidney stones, which I'm very prone to having plus I've had several back surgeries and including spinal fusion, except the pain was on both sides. I endured it off and on for over ten hours. It was only when I got to the point of not being able to stand up much less walk that I finally broke down and went to the hospital. By that time I was so dizzy and short of breath I couldn't sit up straight in a wheelchair. Only then, withy pulse pounding in my head, did I begin to think it could be cardiac related. No chest pain at all, no sweating, no nausea, no classic symptoms for hours. Back pain, which I endure every... Single... Day... Only difference was it being a bit more intense right out of the gate instead of a gradual buildup. Tl;dr-if your back hurts and it seems a bit different at all, go get checked ladies!

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#14

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Chiropractors.

Although the exact number of deaths is unclear due to lack of documentation, it's estimated that at least 40 people per year (in the US) die from chiropractic manipulation.

Onikisuen , barbaraj714 Report

#15

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Mosquitoes.

Selfish_Princess replied:

That's right! Mosquitoes [take out] one million people a year. One MILLION. For context, the next animal is comically humans themselves, with 135 thousand homicides.

p-s0 , alessandrozocc Report

Globally, the leading causes of death are cardiovascular diseases while cancers are in second place. High blood pressure, smoking, obesity, high blood sugar, and air pollution are also to blame for many health problems.

However, the causes of death can vary quite significantly from country to country. Broadly speaking, non-communicable diseases cause the most harm in rich countries. Meanwhile, infectious diseases are the most dangerous in lower-income countries, according to ‘Our World in Data.’ This is slowly changing, and fewer people are dying due to infectious diseases, but more are losing their lives because of non-communicable ones.

#16

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Abusive romantic partners.

abstractelement , damirkhabirov Report

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Sarah SH
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People usually think of physical abuse with this and being directly killed by your partner. Verbal and emotional abuse are just as bad and can lead to a lot of the other things on this list; stress, depression, homelessness.

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#17

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Mozzarella sticks. Statistically the most choked on food.

SpecSanders , Toby Oxborrow Report

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Hawkmoon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

US, after Kinder it's time to ban mozzarella sticks! Everyone's safety is at stake! (What about guns? Move on! There's nothing to see!)

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#19

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Air pollution from fossil fuel burning & heavy industry, mostly in China & India. The number of premature deaths from air pollution is estimated at 6 - 7 million per year. Put another way, fossil fuels cause more deaths every 2 - 3 weeks than nuclear power has in its entire history even if you do the completely dishonest thing of including Hiroshima & Nagasaki in that total.

thesymmetrybreaker , manfredxy Report

#20

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think UTIs. They can EASILY turn into sepsis. My mother has nearly died twice from a UTI she had no symptoms of until she was septic. And she has lingering issues from the sepsis 5 years ago.

UTIs seem like no big deal but get your a*s to the doctor for antibiotics right away. They can kill you before you know it.

criticallycrafty , Vladdeep Report

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CalicoKitty
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it burns when you pee, a risk of blood infection there will be :)

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#21

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Selfies, in obviously dangerous situations.

silent_manu replied:

Schools banned field trips in our region before for a year or two due to three different incidents of students trying taking a selfie during a field trip.

B_sides45 , blas Report

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#22

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Influenza. Just regular old flu. Many people ignore it thinking it'll go away on its own. Globally the number per year is usually between 300k and 500k. In the US it can be anywhere from 12k to 50k per year.

PhreedomPhighter , micens Report

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Angela B
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If only there was some kind of..... ah yes! A vaccine! That can reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent fatalities! Who woulda thunk it? I know the antivaxxers will come after me for this post but quite frankly, I don't give a hoot.

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#23

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Anorexia has a higher death rate than depression. It has the highest death rate among all mental disorders

maryweatherbumpkin , Farknot Report

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CalicoKitty
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But sure, body image isn't a relevant problem, especially not in women... /s

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#25

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Left-handed people using right-handed tools.

kindest_asshole , rawf8 Report

#26

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Stairs.

20 million severe injuries each year and at least 200.000 death from consequences of the fall. Both my grandparents died because of a fall.

OnTheGoodSideofLife , halfpoint Report

#27

Alcoholism causing liver failure and its on the rise in the USA.

Interesting_Drop8236 Report

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Vix Spiderthrust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not just liver failure. Oesophageal cancer, kidney faliure, heart disease...all sorts of nasties. And trying to quit drinking cold turkey can cause hallucinations, seizures and even cardiac arrest - never, ever try it! Cold turkey is for opiates only (opiate withdrawal hurts like f**k but isn't actually dangerous).

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#28

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Street fights.

You watch some Hollywood blockbusters and some MMA fights and you think you can do it too. I've seen stories of a guy minding his own business and gets rocked on the side of his head. It disconnected his spine and he was dead before he hit the ground. There was another story maybe a year ago of a scuffle where a guy was stabbed in the neck and bled out to the point of being unable to stand within 10 seconds. Stop f*****g around, it's not worth your life.

Choiceofart , Meg Rutherford Report

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CalicoKitty
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anyone else remember when so many people were getting king-hit on the streets that they decided to bring in laws specifically surrounding one-punch attacks?

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#29

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Odd fact I learned over New Years, Champagne corks [take out] more people that spiders on average every year. I think the yearly average is 34 deaths.

Impressive-Floor-700 , markusgann Report

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Hawkmoon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Losing an eye, I could understand that, but dying? Is that gunpowder champagne?

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#30

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Falling in the bathroom, especially the shower.

MushroomMossSnail , boomeart Report

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hungryghost
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes to this, I lost my aunt and uncle after they slipped in the bathroom

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#31

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Tripping. On average around 17k people a year in the US die from injuries incurred after tripping and falling.

EdithWhartonsFarts , svitlanah Report

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ScarletRos
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Particularly for older people. Working in aged care, I've seen relatively healthy and active older folks have a fall, break a hip and die within a few months.

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#32

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Tetanus. Get your vax up to date, it's ugly.

bmb00zld , Blake Patterson Report

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Undercover
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tbh it's very unlikely to catch tetanus, but if you do you're on the road to die in the most painfully, gruesome way. The spasms can get so intense that they break bones in your spine

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#33

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think High Blood Pressure. It sneaks up on you and you don't know about it or don't care but its the underlying cause of so many deaths.

Fear51 , strakanimages Report

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KimB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a silent killer because it often has no symptoms. Untreated hypertension is the leading cause of cardiomyopathy which weakens your heart muscle. Over time the heart muscle dilates because it struggles to pump blood and has to work too hard. This can lead to fatal arrhythmia (irregular heart beats) and ultimately death. Get your blood pressure checked often and if a doctor prescribes medication take it!

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#34

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think Ladders. Ladders [take out] around 300 people/year in the US.

patcpsc , gpointstudio Report

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Fat Harry
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do we really need "[take out]" as a euphemism for "KILL"? The word is KILL, BP, KILL. If you won't post it, we will!!

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#35

Untreated infections. Your body will become septic, in which it essentially kills itself trying to kill off whatever infection one has.

cacarrizales Report

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Amaryllis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My first thought is why would anyone ignore an infection? But I live in a country with Universal Health Care.

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#36

Diabetes ... its not always the disease itself that kills you its all the co morbidity that comes with it.

Swelling , prone to infection , organ damage , eye damage, limb loss even cutting ur own toenails keeping feet free from cuts ... tiny scratches that can turn into cellulitis then sepsis .

Yeah don't recommend it

pickelrick_ Report

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KombatBunni
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother has type 2, and regularly fails to look after herself. Two minor strokes and counting, and heart disease. I’ve told her straight up that I’ll be starting funeral arrangements after the next one because sure as hell she won’t make it back..and it gives me the shits

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#37

Alcohol withdrawal. As a person that has has many withdrawals people don’t seem to understand how potentially serious the withdrawals are, especially done without medical assistance. Thank f**k I don’t have to go through that s**t.

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#38

Well, here we go.

Not exactly a huge surprise but once upon a time I worked with a regional set of hospitals coordinating nationwide cause of death reports and statistics.

- 80% of all organ donor tissues cannot be accepted due to safety concerns around organ recovery.

- I won't say how much, but a surprisingly high percentage of successful organ donors are motorcyclists.

- Cheerleading , particularly involving gymnastic/aerobatic actions is one of , if not the leading causes of death for young women under 18.

- Football, is a major cause of CTE, and an unexpectedly large number of football and hockey players die in younger life.

- Gunshot injuries and suicides are seasonal, something you can discern by way of the death-rate in provinces and territories where it is dark for long periods of winter, Seasonal Affective Disorder is no joke. Talk to your physician first but SAD can be treated with Vitamin D and getting as much sunlight exposure as possible.

markth_wi Report

#39

Medical malpractice. One hears about it, but one doesn't really hear that much about it. It's not reported in the media, there aren't any loud groups screeching about it all the time, but medical malpractice results in around 300,000 deaths per year in the U.S., according to the CDC. Compare this to all firearm related deaths, including suicide (which make up about half of all firearm deaths in the U.S.).

Catacomb_Gangster Report

#40

"Mozzarella Sticks": 40 Life-Threatening Things That Are More Deadly Than Most People Think I got this one because it was one of the first facts I learned on reddit: a bottle of minced garlic past it's due date. Literally poison and an incredibly painful death.

Vioralarama , Ernesto Andrade Report

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Senjo Krane
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omg, I keep mine for months and months. Why isn't there a life or death warning?? Actually I call bs here

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