The 10 Most Dangerous Things You're Doing

Avoid the everyday pitfalls that could put you in the ER--or worse
By Markham Heid, Men's Health

You know texting and driving is dangerous, but fiddling with your phone while walking could be just as bad. The number of emergency room visits among people who were trying to text while walking jumped 35 percent between 2009 and 2010--from 1,113 up to 1,506, according to an Ohio State University study. And considering that was nearly triple the number of texting-while-strolling accidents reported in 2007, the likelihood of a tree trunk or telephone pole meeting your face in the near future are soaring, the study suggests.

If you want to stay out of the ER--or worse, the morgue--research shows you should probably also avoid these activities.

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Fixing Appliances
Rates of electrocution deaths among men jumped 76 percent between 2008 and 2009--the last year for which data is available, according to a report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The most common cause? Trying to fix small appliances like toasters or blenders, the data shows. Unplug everything before going to work.

Lighting Fireworks
Roughly 9,000 people end up in the ER every year as a result of messing around with fireworks--a number that hasn't changed since 1997, shows another CPSC report. Yeah, fireworks are fun because they're dangerous. But maybe stick to sparklers.

Boozing Near a Body of Water
Roughly eight adults die every day by drowning-and 80 percent of those victims are men, according to stats from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 70 percent of those deaths, alcohol is involved, the CDC stats show. Clearly, booze and large bodies of water do not mix.

PLUS: Stay away from these 4 Secretly Dangerous Drinks.

Hanging Your Own TV
Between 2009 and 2011, about 19,000 people were sent to the ER--and 215 were killed--by falling televisions, finds a CPSC report. Unless you really know what you're doing, have a professional install your new flat-screen for you.

Working with Jerks
People who receive high levels of social support from their colleagues also enjoy a 41 percent drop in mortality--while a lack of support in the office has roughly the opposite effect, according to a study from Israel. A lack of friends in the workplace could lead to more work stress, which would explain the higher mortality rates, the study authors say.

PLUS: What your hand says about your penis, the link between your lips and brain, and more: 10 Crazy Body Connections Explained!

Cooking with Gas
Grilling results in roughly 17,000 serious accidents annually, and many of those involve propane grills, according to another CPSC report. (You may have heard about the 2012 explosion that severely burned ESPN commentator Hannah Storm.) While such explosions are pretty rare, fires are significantly more common, and they're usually due to mechanical failure, shows a U.S. Fire Administration report.

PLUS: Diagnose every pop, crack, and whistle before they become something worse with these 6 Weird Body Noises Explained.

Sitting Down All Day
We've been telling you for years: The more time you spend sitting each day, the greater your chances of dying an early death--regardless of how much you exercise. From heart disease to diabetes, sitting for long periods--in your car, at work, on the couch at home--is your ticket to an early grave. Whether you install a stand-up desk or you start standing during your bus or subway rides, stay on your feet to stave off death.

Driving the Day After a Snowstorm
Because the storm has passed, you may assume the roads are safe enough for you to return to your usual driving speeds and habits. But that assumption leads to a significant uptick in accidents and fatalities the day following snowstorms--when the roads could still be slick--suggests research from the University of California, Berkeley.

RELATED: The 5 Best Winter Sports You Haven't Tried

Working the Night Shift
Melatonin--the hormone that helps regulate your sleep cycle--has been linked to lower rates of killer diseases like prostate and lung cancer. But if you go to bed well after dark and sleep during the daylight hours, your body's circadian clocks can be thrown off balance, causing a big drop in melatonin levels, shows research from the University of Quebec.

More from Men's Health: Know what symptoms warrant a trip to your doctor: Learn the 7 Pains You Should Never Ignore.