Health and heart problems caused by hard water

I move to an area where the water is very hard. It causes excessive dryness to my skin. My mouth and tounge become very dry when I drink the hard water or anything made with it. It is getting progressively more severe. I
ve never had any previous heart problems but since the beginning of the 2009 I've been to the ER four time with afib and high blood pressure. I believe that the hard water is affecting my heart and circulatory system similar to the way it dries out my skin and mouth. It this a possibility? Is their any record  of hard water causing similar problems? My biggest difficulty is getting doctors to beleive what I'm saying is true.

[jondsam]

Hard water is really not harmful to drink at all.  Certain minerals build up in hard water making the cation level higher than normal.  However, it is considered safe to drink and bathe in.  When water is "soft" it is feels better on your skin because soft water does not rinse soap and lather of your body as well as hard water or regular water.  Which in turn your left with a "cleaner" feeling.  "Hard Water" makes soap not lather up easily and forms a type of scum when used in the shower.  Over 85% of the USA populations have "hard water".  Its is safe to drink but not as fun to use in the shower.  There is no way possible any heart related problems could be from "hard water".  You could always drink bottled water :o)

Trust me my water is so hard that I feel dirtier when I get out of the shower than when I go into it.  I have drank it for years and never had a problem.

[Sweetwaterguy]

   We live in a rural area and have an artesian well that is almost 1000 ft. deep.  The water is extremely soft.   That does not mean that it has few minerals in it.  It does, and the primary substance is sodium.  When one buys a water softening system, what happens is the mineral content is exchanged for salt--or sodium.  Most comcommercial water softening systems bypass the kitchen tap so people can have unsoftened drinking water.  This is because salt, which is traded in the softening process for the "hard" minerals is bad for your cardiovascular system.  
   With regard to my well water, we have a reverse osmosis system on the drinking water tap and that removes most of the sodium from our drinking water.  
   Of course it depends on what minerals are in your particular water supply, but generally hard water does not present health risks.  It may actually be good for you.  
Soft water--if sodium is present--does present health risks.  
   If you still have concerns, you might want to install a reverse osmosis system under your kitchen sink and that will remove most of the mineral content in your drinking water.  But again, the likelyhood that your water is causing high blood pressure is pretty low.  

[ireneo]

A question: would a higher sodium content in water affect someone who does not have a heart problem to begin with? I know folks with CHF have to monitor their sodium intake carefully. My husband who has extremely low blood pressure was told by his doctor to increase his sodium intake (that sounds so hokey to me).

[jondsam]

Sodium constricts your blood vessels causing your blood pressure to raise. The chances that the sodium level is dangerously high in your water is pretty low.  Anyways, if your blood pressure is not an issue to begin with, than I would not worry about it at all.  Hell we all probably put more salt on our foods than you would get in high sodium water.  Unless you are drinking salt water out of the tap, I would not worry about it.  

[sick and tired 47]

Hi! I am like your husband, very low BP,which is even lower now that I am atenolol. My cardiologist has also suggested increasing my sodium and fluid intake to keep BP up. He advised me to use salt liberally, don't get carried away, but certainly don't restrict. If I retain fluid, or my BP goes up dramatically  I should  restrict/avoid salt. I thought this was hokey too.... but hate the dizziness, fatigue that goes with low BP. so I will try it.
Good luck to you and your hubby too.

[Sweetwaterguy]

   As mentioned earlier, we remove some of the sodium content in our water with a reverse osmosis system.  Lab testing of our untreated water suggested it was entirely safe to drink.  
   We made that choice to treat our water because my wife  takes blood pressure medication for high bp and was advised to limit her salt intake.  We did not have medical advice to do so.  It just seemed like it was something we ought to do.  

[ireneo]

My husband's BP is so low that if his systolic is over 100, I tease him about getting high BP. I just thought the doctor would take it more seriously after my hubby passed out on the bus one morning. Pbbt.

That's a good idea about the water treatment since your wife is dealing with the high BP already.

So overall, back to the main question, sodium content in drinking water wouldn't cause heart disease, right? I do remember the hard water in S. California when we lived there for a year. Try making a cup of coffee and adding cream to it. Yuck - it looked scummy on top. And it was harsh on the skin. But we had bottled water for drinking. Ah, the good old days.

[Sweetwaterguy]

I believe some people are more sensitive to salt than others.  Does salt (sodium) cause heart disease?  That is best answered by someone in the scientific/medical community.  I do believe, however, that salt intake does contibute to narrowing of the arteries--in some people.  There is evidence to support that.
   Since I retired , I figure someone is paying me just to wake up in the morning.  I do like getting my paycheck and hope to for some time to come.  With that in mind, it seems prudent to do what is necessary to maintain good health.  Being moderate in my salt consumption is only a small part but it does seem to fit a healthy lifestyle.