Am I Allergic to Water?

Over the years we have had people come into our store and tell us they think they are allergic to water. They complain of redness, rashes, dry skin, itching or burning skin and it only happens when they bathe or swim.

The truth is that there have been very few cases of someone actually being allergic to water. In fact there have been fewer than 30 reported cases of “Aquagenous Urticara” world wide.

We explain that more than likely they are having an allergic reaction to something in the water and not the water itself.

Alfie Lipshultz, a good friend and CEO of the Aquthin, Corp., likes to refer to our water sources as “chemical cocktails”.

“The water we drink, cook with and bathe in contains hundreds of chemicals including heavy metals, minerals, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, organic waste, illegal drugs, salts, cleaning products and personal care products just to mention a few.

The local water treatment plants attempt to clean up the water but unfortunately that includes adding even more potentially irritating chemicals like chlorine, aluminum chloride, and ammonia. It is not their fault the water they start with is not as good as it once was.”

So what is causing our customer to have their allergic reaction to water? The majority of them are finding that they are sensitive to the chlorine and chloramines used by the local treatment plants to disinfect the water.

We need these chemicals in the water to kill bacteria while it is in the water mains being delivered to our home but they should be removed before they get in the house.

I have yet to read a study that suggests chlorine or chloramines are good for our skin, to breathe while taking a shower or ingest.

If you believe you are having any type of an allergic reaction you should see your doctor as soon as possible. However, we believe that everyone should use quality water filtration systems to protect themselves and their families from the “chemical cocktail” that is in water. There is no reason to take the risk.

Remember, it’s not the water that bothers you but what is in it.

Wishing you the best of health
Mike Krause