Using a sauna is said to be good for health. It improves your metabolism, helps with blood circulation, rejuvenates the skin, helps with relaxation and stress management, improves longevity, and has many other benefits. It can even help boost your immune system to prevent you from getting sick easily.
But what about when you’re actively sick? Is a sauna good when sick?
Some people find that using steam saunas can help with various symptoms of having colds like a stuffy nose, headache, and sore throat. However, there are warnings about using the sauna when you are sick, especially when you have a fever.
So when should you use a sauna when you are sick? Read further below to know when to use the sauna even if you are sick.
Is a Sauna Good When Sick?
There are clear health benefits to using a sauna… but there’s a lot of woo out there, too!
If you are already sick, can you still use a sauna and benefit from it?
Colds and Saunas
When you are sick and you sit inside the sauna, it can help you. Some symptoms can be alleviated simply because you sit in the sauna, particularly if you combine the steam with essential oils like eucalyptus, which can really clear out sinuses..
This is because the sauna influences you to release endorphins, open the airways so you can breathe easily, enhance blood circulation and help with respiratory drainage. When these are done, you may feel more comfortable after using a sauna.
This is because the sauna influences you to release endorphins, open the airways so you can breathe easily, enhance blood circulation and help with respiratory drainage.
Fever and Saunas
However, in cases when you have a fever, it is not advisable to be in the sauna as it could further increase your body’s already-high temperature. That could lead to hyperthermia or you could easily get dehydrated because of the sauna.
A Sauna A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Many people feel better after using the sauna, even if they are sick (but not feverish). That’s because using the sauna promotes the release of endorphins and dopamine, which helps make you feel more energetic and less likely to feel the aches and pains that you might have felt due to your sickness.
Your airways could open up and you may feel like you can breathe better after using the sauna. This is due to the increased humidity found in saunas. With open airways, it is much easier to drain the mucus that builds up when you have a cold.
Another thing that saunas can help with is the improvement of blood circulation. With an increase in the blood flow, more white blood cells are circulated and can get to the area where viruses or bacteria are. This will help you to fight off those viruses or bacteria that caused you to be sick.
With optimal or increased blood flow, the detoxifying process is improved. Your body can clear out any of the wastes through proper circulation. This greatly helps with the improvement of your immunity.
The use of the sauna when you are sick will greatly depend on what kind of sickness you have. If you are dealing with a common cold or cough, a sauna could be helpful. However, if you are dealing with a fever, flu, or other more severe illness, using a sauna could worsen your condition.
The use of the sauna when you are sick will greatly depend on what kind of sickness you have. If you are dealing with a common cold or cough, a sauna could be helpful. However, if you are dealing with a fever, flu, or other more severe illness, using a sauna could worsen your condition.
Although you could alleviate some of the symptoms of a cold when going to a sauna, that doesn’t mean that it should be a substitute for the medical treatment that you need.
If you plan to use the sauna when you are sick, it would still be best to consult with your doctor before you do so.
Best Sauna To Use When You Are Sick
There are different types of saunas available in the market today. You could have the infrared, the traditional sauna, and the steam sauna.
1. Steam Sauna
When it comes to alleviating the symptoms of the common cold, the best sauna to use is the steam sauna or the steam room. Compared to a traditional sauna, a steam sauna will be a cooler temperature and will provide the opportunity for steam.
This added moisture is what helps your clear airways so you can breathe more effectively.
However, the moisture in the air can help with the spread of the bacteria. Due to the heat, there is a risk of dehydration.
2. Traditional Sauna
When it comes to accessibility, traditional saunas may be at the top of the list. However, if you plan to use a sauna when you are sick, it would be best to use one that is your own rather than goes to a public sauna or gym sauna. That’s basic sauna etiquette!
You wouldn’t want to expose others and spread the bacteria or virus that’s causing you to be sick.
Using a traditional sauna will help improve the immune system by increasing blood circulation. It can help reduce the congestion in your airways.
Traditional saunas will be hotter than steam saunas that’s why there is an increased risk of getting heatstroke in them, especially when you are not properly hydrated while using them. It could be uncomfortable to use when you are sick due to the high temperatures.
Unlike steam rooms, dry heat from the traditional sauna may cause your airways to be irritated. However, with a traditional sauna, you can adjust the humidity and steam level as needed. The humid air can be quite clearing, particularly when you add something like eucalyptus to the mix (which is commonly done in traditional Finnish saunas).
3. Infrared Sauna
Lastly, we have infrared saunas. Usually, these saunas are used when you want to quickly penetrate the deeper tissue layers of the body. This means that your body temperature can increase fast when you use this type of sauna.
However, infrared saunas run at a cooler temperature than traditional saunas, and do not have steam.
These could be more comfortable than the traditional sauna because they aren’t that hot. Due to its ability to quickly penetrate the deeper tissues, it could alleviate the soreness of your muscles, help kill the viruses or bacteria in the body and improve immune strength.
However, they may not be as affected as the steam sauna when it comes to relieving congestion in the airways. Just like the traditional sauna that uses dry heat, the infrared saunas could be irritating to the airways, especially when you have a cough.
Conclusion
So is a sauna good when you’re sick? It can be a nice help if you’ve got a cold and stuffy nose, mainly due to the steam. But if you’ve got a fever, a sauna could be dangerous and could lead you to overheat.
Remember it’s not a good idea to visit a public sauna if you’ve got a cold!
