Salt Water Pools, Water Softeners and the Heart

Hello All!

I was wondering if anyone has heard one way or the other about whether salt water pools are good for people with heart conditions like afib. Apparently there is a school of thought that people with stroke risk should avoid water softeners in their showers because they would absorb the salt used in the softener, which could affect their blood pressure and increase stroke risk.

Does this also hold for salt water pools? If anyone has any information I would appreciate it.

Thanks so much--

I would say it is individual whether NaCl will increase blood pressure. I've had afib for 18 years and I specifically consume about 5.7 grams = 1.5 tsp sea salt (Celtic), about 3.5 g sodium, in 28 oz of water over the day (along with 2 tsp potassium citrate - 4 g potassium). I also consume additional salt in my food. My BP is generally around 110/60. I'm not suggesting others should do this. The easy way to test is to measure resting BP before and then try whatever you want to do and see if it impacts your BP. There are people who are salt sensitive with respect to BP & others who are not.

Keep in mind that there are swimming pools that are called "saltwater pools", but in reality, they are actually chlorine pools where salt is used to generate the chlorine.

Salt isn't absorbed through the skin so as long as you're not drinking the softened water it won't matter.

Thank you all for your replies!

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GeorgeN
I would say it is individual whether NaCl will increase blood pressure. I've had afib for 18 years and I specifically consume about 5.7 grams = 1.5 tsp sea salt (Celtic), about 3.5 g sodium, in 28 oz of water over the day (along with 2 tsp potassium citrate - 4 g potassium). I also consume additional salt in my food. My BP is generally around 110/60. I'm not suggesting others should do this. The easy way to test is to measure resting BP before and then try whatever you want to do and see if it impacts your BP. There are people who are salt sensitive with respect to BP & others who are not.

I also need to consume at least that much salt in order to help prevent major drops in BP when standing—my BP is usually about the same as yours when I am sitting. I do find it a challenge to get enough salt in the morning hours as it can upset my stomach. By afternoon I have taken in enough, but mornings are tricky. Do you have any tips? Ideally, I’d get a whopping dose in the morning but I haven’t been able to tolerate it. I have low blood volume (calculated by an interventional cardiologist), so I am trying to retain fluids (electrolytes help a lot).

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Daisy
Do you have any tips? Ideally, I’d get a whopping dose in the morning but I haven’t been able to tolerate it. I have low blood volume (calculated by an interventional cardiologist), so I am trying to retain fluids (electrolytes help a lot).

Can you salt your food heavily? That might help the stomach issue. A consultant suggested I increase mine (I don't have low blood volume, but am familiar as my first wife has that issue), but it is as a part of balancing all my minerals. My time between consults is 3-4 months and I do mineral hair analysis to see how things are doing. During one of these interludes, I even salted my salads heavily (I eat a large salad daily), on top of the high polyphenol olive oil I use for dressing. This did work as indicated in the hair analysis. On this call, I told her that adding more into my water would be tough as it is pretty salty as it is. I'm always fasting in the morning till after I exercise or do whatever activity (like rock climbing). I bring the liter of salt water with me and I also have to bring a liter of plain as otherwise my mouth gets parched when exercising, unless I follow the salt water with plain.

Your question prompted me to recall my salad salting, so will probably go back to that.