Is Your Tap Water Making You Sick?
When you start to feel under the weather, you may go right to thinking that it’s a cold or the flu or something you ate. But what if you found out that it was something you were putting in your body every day? Water can have a serious impact on our bodies in so many ways. If we do not consume enough of it, we risk dehydration. Dehydration can cause us to become dizzy, irritable, and have fatigue. Extreme dehydration can cause fainting or hospitalization, so making sure we get enough water is very important.
If we are drinking a large amount of water with harmful chemicals, we could experience a very different reaction. Whenever putting something into your body regularly, even when it is something as simple and basic as water, make sure you know what is in it.
We need water! Water makes up about 80% of our bodies, and we need to make sure we are inputting whatever we put out. But how do we know if the water we are drinking is safe? How can we tell if we are getting good nutritional value out of the water we are putting in our bodies? You may start to notice a few things that seem off. But as a whole, water intake should make you feel good. Tap water is always up in the air because you do not always know what could be in it if you do not have a filtration system. If you are choosing to drink tap water, getting a filtration system is. A great idea so it can help to sift out harmful chemicals and particles. Bottled water is a good option when we are talking about what is sanitary. However, if you are an advocate for the environment, you may want to reduce the use of plastic in your home.
How to tell if your water may not be safe:
There are a few red flags to look out for with your water.
Ask yourself and others who have had the water…
-Does it taste metallic?
-Does it smell musky or fishy?
-Do you see particles in your water, or does it appear cloudy?
If you experience any of these things, your water could be harboring chemicals that could be making you sick! So why does this happen? If you are drinking from city water or well water that has not had proper testing, it could pass by without anyone knowing. City water has the potential to gather runoff chemicals, pesticides, or gather particles from old pipes and sewage systems. Contamination can happen anytime in our water systems, and if you notice that anything tastes or looks different, it is important to get it tested as soon as possible.
Well water has the potential of being extra hard. Hard water has high levels of calcium and magnesium. You will notice scale buildup on your appliances and particles in your water. There is also the chance you could have whatever is decaying in your soil end up in your water. The first step is still to have your water tested. This will let you know what exactly is in your water and a potential remedy to it.
Can chemicals in water cause allergies?
If you or your family members are experiencing allergies, asthma, or eczema, did you know that it could be from chemicals in your water? The biggest culprit to creating allergies from your water is chlorine. Chlorine is to help purify the water in a lot of instances. But over time, studies have shown that some people’s immune systems cannot deal with the amount of chlorine in the water and causes them to have skin irritants and asthmatic symptoms.
Depending on where your water comes from, it could also be carrying around pollens and other allergens in it that you are trying to avoid. If you have city and well water and are not filtering it in your home, there is potential for this to happen. If you or anyone in your home usually has common allergens, look into the possibility of your water!
Tap water also has the potential to give you skin breakouts if the pH level is not where it needs to be. When your water has a high pH number, you will find that it is more alkaline, and a lower pH level shows that it is more acidic. Hard water is a known culprit causing your skin to become dry due to the calcium, magnesium, and iron in it. When you get your water tested for chemicals and bacteria, you can also get it tested for pH levels. These tests will better help you determine what is in your water and if a filtration system is what you need to keep you and your family as healthy as possible.
