These surprising causes of death are more common than you think

There are more than 150,000 deaths every single day. That’s a scary statistic and one that really puts things into perspective—not to mention makes you a little scared for your own mortality. But what’s killing all of these people?

Well, the good news is that you probably don’t have much to worry about. The majority of deaths are in the elderly and occur from “natural causes.” However, there is a significant proportion of those deaths that are caused by things you do everyday, things that may be surrounding you right now.

Common Diseases are a Big Killer

Diabetes is a serious condition, but one that is so common we’ve come to see it as something innocent and harmless. In most cases, it can be cured by a change in diet and lifestyle and this prognosis has likely led to our changed perceptions. But type 1 diabetes is not easily controlled and if you don’t have the means or will to control type 2, it can be just as deadly, so much so in fact that it makes it onto number 6 on the list of the biggest global killers.

We also underplay the flu, because it’s something most of us will have at least once every few years and something we get over by spending a few days in bed. But every year more than 200,000 Americans end up in hospital after suffering from a bout of the flu, with as many as 49,000 dying from it in the US alone.

To make matters worse, holding in a sneeze and even sneezing repetitively could be the death of you.

Injury

Most injuries are considered harmless. In fact, in the United States, we’ve built an entire industry off the back of a personal injury, which has led to countless Americans seeing a trip, a fall or a crash as a ticket to big riches, and not a potential life-changing issue. From the exploding Samsung phones to the case brought against WEN hair loss products and the famous McDonald’s coffee lawsuit (which, incidentally, didn’t happen as we all think) personal injury is a cash grab more than a serious concern (checkout this page by the top Atlanta, GA car accident lawyers to learn more.)

But injuries still account for a significant proportion of the total death count worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 6 million people die every year from injuries, almost 1/4 of which happen on the road, with road traffic accidents accounting for one of the top five causes of death in developing nations like India.

There are more deaths from falls than there are from wars, around 150% more in fact, while accidental asphyxiation, animal bites and natural disasters also account for a large portion of that number.

Drugs and Alcohol

There is an opioid epidemic in the United States right now and deaths from opiates and opioids are at the highest they have ever been, with more than 64,000 dying every year from this class of drugs alone. Most of these deaths are the result of an overdose and they tend to occur in addicts or in former addicts who have relapsed and have mistaken a therapeutic dose for an overdose because they no longer have the tolerance they once had. However, there are still a significant number of deaths from tainted drugs/alcohol, excessive consumption in inexperienced users, and environmental factors such as dehydration/overheating (common with stimulants).

If you’re thinking that you’re safe because you don’t take drugs, then think again, because alcohol is a far bigger killer. In fact, alcohol is responsible for nearly 6 in every 100 deaths worldwide, a simply staggering figure that is quite hard to get your head around.

This includes drunk driving and other accidents, but it also includes tainted alcohol, alcohol-related liver disease, and alcohol poisoning. It’s a frightening statistic—almost enough to make you give up the booze entirely.

But not quite.