If you or someone you know suffers from dermatitis, it can sometimes be difficult to uncover the cause. Although there are many possible things to blame, one possibility that often gets overlooked is your home’s water quality. Today we’re going to talk about how your home’s tap water might cause or worsen dermatitis and what you can do to alleviate your symptoms!
What is dermatitis?
Dermatitis is a condition that causes your skin to become red, swollen, itchy, flakey and/or sore. It is exclusively caused by an allergic reaction to some external source (possibly your tap water) that your body comes into frequent contact with.
How can your home’s water quality cause or worsen dermatitis?
- Chlorinated water. Chlorine is a natural irritant that effects some people more than others. If you are someone who is prone to dermatitis, chlorine exposure can be the cause. Because chlorine is added to public tap water as a disinfectant, many people come into frequent contact with the chemical when they shower. Not only does chlorine itself cause dermatitis, but it also dries out your skin, which worsens the symptoms.
- Chromium in your water. Chromium is a tap water contaminant that is found naturally in rocks, plants and soil. Drinking tap water that’s polluted with high levels of chromium can cause dermatitis after long term exposure.
- Hard water. Although hard water does not cause dermatitis, it can make symptoms worse because it clogs your pores and dries out your skin.
What can you do to alleviate your symptoms of dermatitis if it’s caused by your tap water?
In order to determine whether or not your tap water is causing or worsening your symptoms of dermatitis, contact North Carolina Water Consultants for a free water quality analysis. We can test for the common contaminants listed above and determine whether or not they are found in high levels in your water.
Typically, the best solution for removing those contaminants will be to install a whole house water filtration system and/or a water softener in your home that will remove the problematic contaminants. The WaterMax from Hague is a great solution, because it filters and softeners your water using one compact unit.
If you have any questions about how water quality relates to dermatitis, or if you’d like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in North and South Carolina. We provide service all over the Carolinas, including towns like Casar, Mount Pleasant and Waxhaw, NC.