11 Things That Are Unexpectedly Dangerous

You’ll never look at Scotch tape the same way again.

1. Fingerless gloves

“The popular half-gloves that leave fingers uncovered for texting may be good for communicating electronically,” says a recent release from Loyola University Health System, “but they may also lead to permanent loss of fingers due to exposure to the cold.” Trauma doctor Arthur Sanford adds, somewhat drolly, “Bundling up for winter may take you out of media circulation temporarily but better that than to permanently lose the ability to text due to frostbite.”

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2. Texting

Too much can apparently cause a phenomenon called “text neck,” an “overuse syndrome involving the head, neck and shoulders, usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking in a downward position at hand held devices such as cell phones.” Symptoms include fatigue, muscle spasms, and even stress headaches.

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3. Purses

According to a 2010 investigation of purses from 100 top stores, many contained dangerous levels of lead. At least one, H&M, agreed to eliminate the metal from its purses as a result of the report, so those seeking lead-free purses can shop there.

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4. Teddy bears

They don’t appear to contain lead, but teddy bears have been the subject of several recalls. The Colorful Hearts Build-a-Bear was recalled in 2011 because its eyeballs could fall out and children could choke on them. And in 1989 the “Jump Rope” bear topped a “Toys That Kill” list because it came with “a nylon jump rope and a headband that both pose risk of strangulation injury.”

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5. Hand sanitizer

Last year, 430 canisters of Kleenex brand hand sanitizers in Canada were recalled because they had bacteria conveniently already in them. Also, don’t eat hand sanitizer.

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6. Golfing

Too much golf can cause a condition called golfer’s elbow, characterized by pain on the inner side of the elbow joint. Luckily, according to the Mayo Clinic, “With rest and appropriate treatment, you can get back into the swing of things.”

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7. BlackBerrys

Excessive BlackBerry use can cause “BlackBerry thumb,” in which the thumb and sometimes fingers throb with pain. The American Physical Therapy Association has apparently recognized this as a legitimate condition. No word on whether sick nail art can forestall it.

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8. Grapefruit

This fruit may seem innocuous, if sour, but a 2012 report found that it could interact with 43 different drugs, including cholesterol and heart medications.

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9. Video Games

Excessive gaming can cause repetitive stress injuries in the thumb or fingers. Extremely witty names for such conditions include “Nintendinitis” and “injurwii.”

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10. Flip Flops

Wearing these too much can cause arch pain, inflammation of the sole of the foot, and nerve damage. The UK apparently spends $62 million a year treating 200,000 flip-flop injuries.

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11. Tape

It turns out your odds of having to go to the ER this year due to some kind of mishap with tape are 1 in 170,200 — small, but not nonexistent. Most tape-related accidents are cuts from the tape itself or the teeth of the dispenser, but according to the Book of Odds, some also result from “tripping over or being hit by a roll of it, or its being ingested, inhaled, or otherwise misused.” In 2007, one woman reported “eating soup & found tape in soup, now throat feels sore and scratched.” Be warned.

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