Showering at night does not cause water to enter lungs

The claim was posted on August 25, 2021, on Facebook here, where it has been shared more than 8,200 times.

Part of the Malaysian-language caption states: "3 TIMES (OR TIMINGS) NOT ENCOURAGED TO SHOWER:
"1. 30 minutes after Asar prayer.
2. After Maghrib.
3. After Isyak until 12 midnight."

The rest of the post explains that bathing during those times will cause "the body to become tired and fatigued", "heart to weaken" and "water to enter lungs".

Muslims perform five daily prayers as part of the the Pillars of Islam.

The claim mentions three Islamic prayer times which occur between 4 pm and 8 pm in Malaysia.

Image

Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post taken on October 20, 2021

The claim, which has circulated since at least 2018, also appeared here, here, here and here.

The claim, however, is false.

'Water in lungs'

Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, a physician specialising in respiratory medicine at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, told AFP via email: "It’s worth noting that 'water in lungs' means different things to different people.

"For some it’s pneumonia (usually caused by infection); for others, it’s pulmonary edema (usually caused by heart or kidney failure) or even pleural effusion (many causes, usually lung or heart related). None of these could be caused by showering at dusk or at night."

Dr Malar Santhi Santherasegapan, a medical officer at Columbia Asia Hospital in the Malaysian township of Cheras, said: "Our skin is actually a water-resistant organ," adding that it cannot actually allow liquid to pass through.

Family doctor Dr Zubaidi Haji Ahmad discussed the claim on Facebook here on September 21, 2021, .

He said "water in lungs" could be due to multiple causes, such as cancer, as well as various risk factors, including smoking, drinking alcohol, high blood pressure and prior exposure to asbestos.

"There is no evidence so far linking nighttime baths with watery lungs. In fact, bathing at night has been proven to make you sleep more soundly," Dr Zubaidi said.

The Malaysian Ministry of Health also addressed the claim in 2018 by sharing this link from Root of Science, a Facebook page run by a group of Malaysian academics and medical professionals.

The blog post states that the term of "water in lungs" itself is a non-medical term that could refer to two different things that is either pleural effusion or pulmonary edema.

"In fact, the causes of the diseases above are not linked with showering at night," it said. 

No restrictions in the Koran

The Mufti of the Federal Territory, Malaysia, published this article, titled: "The Ruling of Taking a Bath During the Night", on May 11, 2017.

"We did not find any verses in the Quran, hadith or athar from the companions of the Prophet PBUH regarding any restriction against bathing during the night," the article said. 

"However, there are several opinions from scholars who state that it is makruh (undesirable) to take a bath when the sun is setting and in between the two isyak (between maghrib and isyak time)."

AFP has debunked a misleading claim that showering at night will cause cause rheumatic illness.