Hard water is extremely common throughout America. Most of us are aware that hard water can have a detrimental effect on our homes and even create problems with preparing meals. What is still under debate is whether hard water is related to health issues. So, here we’ll explore this topic in further detail.
The Hard Water Basics
Hard water is so common that many people assume that hard water is actually normal, regular water. In fact, this is not the case. Hard water is caused by an excessive amount of calcium, magnesium, and iron dissolved in the water. The level of hardness depends on the amounts of minerals in the water, and just like any type of particulate, you may have more or less in your water.
Hard water can have a serious impact on your appliances, creating scale that accumulates to compromise energy efficiency and performance. Additionally, hard water can clog pipes, leave clothes looking dingy and cause problems with your glassware or dishes.
Hard Water and Health
Although data continues to come in, given what we know about the effects of hard water on the home, it is quite possible to see a potential connection between health issues and hard water. While our bodies are amazingly complex, it also functions with principles that are similar to the appliances in our homes. So, if your ice machine is clogged with hard water scale accumulation, could it be impacting your body?
Many of us are aware that hard water can exacerbate skin conditions such as eczema, as the mineral content can irritate the skin, but it can go a little further. In fact, some research studies have begun to connect hard water with health issues including cardiovascular risk. One study in particular looked at the role of water hardness as a risk factor of cardiovascular disease. The study evaluated the relation between hard water minerals in drinking water with cardiovascular mortality. The research team concluded that calcium content in water may be a factor of importance for cardiovascular risk factors. Although, it was concluded that it was not possible to find definite causal relation, necessitating further research.
So, while additional research is needed to better understand the issue of hard water, it is a fact that there is some medical suspicion surrounding hard water and health issues.
Addressing the Issue
Fortunately, you don’t need to be concerned about how hard water is impacting your body, as you can easily correct hard water issues inside your home. There are a number of water treatment devices and systems that can significantly reduce or eliminate hard water minerals. For the best results, it is a good idea to choose a point of entry system that will treat the water supply as it enters your home. This ensures that the water supplied to fixtures and appliances throughout your home has been softened, allowing you to prepare meals and drinks, bathe, wash your clothing using soft water.
If you have concerns about hard water, you should speak to a water treatment technician. An experienced professional can not only test your water, but also guide you through the treatment options best suited to the specific characteristics of your water supply.