There are numerous life-threatening things that people rarely talk about. A Reddit user started a viral thread, asking internet users about the things that cause death "more than people realize," and many shared their thoughts. Here are some of the most upvoted and strangest answers about this uncomfortable yet an unavoidable topic of dying.

Chiropractors

One Reddit user claimed, "the exact number of deaths is unclear due to lack of documentation. It's estimated that at least 40 people per year (in the U.S.) die from chiropractic manipulation." Several posters agreed and shared what their families went through.

Loneliness

Tragically, loneliness can trigger premature death. A Reddit user explained it "has clear connections to dementia and heart attacks, but has also been shown to raise all-cause mortality generally."

Left-handed people using right-handed tools

Though Reddit users did not go in-depth about the issue, it is well-researched and has been proven that left-handed people suffer stress and live shorter because they have to use everything made for right-handed people.

Falling from stairs

Another less talked about cause of death is related to falling from stairs. The poster wrote, "20 million severe injuries each year and at least 200.000 death from consequences of the fall."

Mozzarella sticks

Due to their texture, mozzarella sticks are a choking hazard, regardless of how old you are. However, they are delicious, and as one person pointed out, "I choked on so many mozzarella sticks as a kid, but I never quit trying."

High Blood Pressure

Though everyone knows it is dangerous, not many people think of high blood pressure as deadly. The Reddit comment said, "It sneaks up on you, and you don't know about it or don't care, but it's the underlying cause of so many deaths." Another poster wrote they lost a 36-year-old friend to high blood pressure.

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Untreated infections

As one poster wrote, "Sinus infections can kill you if left untreated and can last for months without proper treatment," the other added, "Killed a friend of mine. Went septic and died a few days later."

Tripping accidents

One heartbroken user shared, "My aunt passed away about two days after tripping/slipping while getting out of their truck. No ice or anything, just miss-stepped and fell." Though falling from stairs is deadly, death could be as simple as tripping.

Driving while feeling sleepy

One of the top comments stated that driving while sleepy is "more dangerous than drinking while driving," as a commentator pointed out. Another suggested that if a person feels fatigued, they should pull over and do several exercises.

Influenza

This Reddit poster wrote that "just regular old flu" takes away "between 300k and 500k" lives globally every year. Hundreds of related comments shared their unpleasant experiences.

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Female heart attacks

Many women shared unusual symptoms of female heart attacks. One Reddit user explained that "there's a whole book written about the missing data" about female heart attacks.

Sleep apnea

Many shared that untreated sleep apnea can cause a heart attack. People urged others, saying, "If you snore, get a sleep study done."

Homelessness

Though many wrote that poverty kills, one Reddit user gained attention by saying, "hundreds, if not thousands, of people in America, freeze to death on the streets in the winter."

Domestic abuse

Someone posted what they called the not-so-fun facts. The first statement said, "Three women die every single day because of domestic violence in the U.S." They added that "72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of those victims are women."

Walking on frozen lakes and ponds

Ice is dangerous, but walking on a frozen lake can lead to even creepier deaths. One Reddit poster recalled, "a kid in my town (died) a few years ago in a small man-made lake in a park. It wasn't even that deep, but unfortunately, he got stuck under the ice."

Stress

The silent killer, which is how many refer to stress, is not a joking matter. As a Reddit user pointed out, "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."

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Untreated dental problems

Though it sounds like something people tell their children when they refuse to see the dentist, untreated dental problems may cause severe reactions. Someone on Reddit explained, "A cavity left untreated can lead to heart attacks and strokes." Another wrote, "there may be a correlation between gum disease and Alzheimer's."

Shoveling snow

A person who put a shoveling show on the list has "two family friends pass from heart attacks associated with shoveling the snow." Another poster added, "Wet snow is called the widow-maker."

Alcoholism

One poster claimed alcoholism is on the rise, and another added, "Alcohol kills way more than liver failure." They explained alcohol kills "people via heart attacks, hypertension, cardiac dysrhythmias, stroke, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, acute and chronic pancreatitis."

Mosquitoes

Though it sounds strange, one Reddit user wrote, "Mosquitoes kill one million people a year."

Anorexia

A Reddit user wrote that anorexia has a higher death rate than depression, "but it does not kill more people overall because it is less common."

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Constipation

The number of death per year from constipation is 900, a Reddit user claimed. Though this number is not massive, no one ever considers constipation a potential death threat.

Depression

A Reddit poster wrote, "Depression is responsible for 850,000 deaths annually." Another added official statics that "suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds."

Night shifts

The poster who claimed night shifts cause premature death cited a study from Denmark. They wrote, "nurses who worked 20 years of night shifts and got breast cancer after could claim compensation in Denmark. The studies indicate that circadian disruption is carcinogenic."

Dogs

As a Reddit user explained, "Almost 60k people a year die from rabies worldwide, and dogs account for roughly 99% of those transmissions."

Deer

Deer are responsible for "about 200 deaths per year due to car accidents." Another Reddit poster added, "Deer kill more people yearly than wolves have in 200 years."

Childbirth

As many pointed out, deaths due to childbirth are overlooked. Yet, many Redditors echoed this sentiment: "Obviously much safer than it used to be, but there can be pretty serious complications. People seem to think it's totally risk-free these days."

Pollution

Though clean air and water are necessities, as one Reddit user pointed out, "6 - 7 million people" die every year due to air pollution.

Seizures

Though this answer did not get as many upvotes as one would want, the poster did some research. They wrote, "It is the second leading neurological issue only to depression, and 9/10 people in the world will have at least one seizure in their lifetime." The poster pointed out there are not many things known about seizures.

Medical malpractice

One Reddit user claims that medical malpractice takes "300,000 deaths per year in the U.S., according to the CDC." Still, this does not mean malpractice caused this number of death since many patients were already on their deathbeds.

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Covid

As someone pointed out, "Covid kills, and it also cripples, and people pretend we aren't still in the middle of a pandemic." They talked about losing family members and the consequences of long covid.

Coconuts

Several Redditors mentioned coconuts. They pointed out that though the number is low, coconuts still kill "more people than sharks."

Street fights

With almost 15k upvotes, the Reddit community clearly agrees street fights are always a bad idea. One poster added, "They say that the winner of a knife fight dies in the ambulance."

Forgetting kids inside cars

While many said, this was one of the worst days to die, one Reddit person wrote how they almost made this fatal mistake. They wrote, "I almost did this when my son was an infant. I was incredibly sleep deprived." Many advised others to check on those who had new babies recently.

Grief

As someone wrote, Grief causes stress, and stress is awful on the body." But there is more, as this person explained, "Stress cardiomyopathy, better known as Broken Heart Syndrome. Basically, the sudden flood of stress hormones overwhelms your heart."

Hippos

Though they seem friendly enough and will not eat you, hippos are fast and deadly. However, one person added, "domestic dogs kill 60 times more people than hippos do every year."

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