Sauna Benefits and Risks

The main reason why people have become so hooked on to the saunas is that a single session of about fifteen to twenty minutes can actually make a person lose all the buildup stress of a week. With most of us leading hectic lives these days, saunas help in providing the much-needed relief. Saunas are relaxing and pamper the mind and the body of a person. All a person has to do is to sit in a wooden room, in which the temperature is raised to as high as 185° F.

When the temperature is raised, lots of sweat comes out of the body. Toxins get eliminated, body pain is relieved, mood enhancing hormones called " endorphins" are released - all these prove to be very advantageous for the physical and mental health of a person. However, there are some dangers associated with saunas too. People with certain diseases and health conditions should avoid saunas.

When the body gets heated up due to the steam in sauna, it starts to sweat profusely. Along with the sweat, lots of the toxins in the body come out of the skin pores. This clears up the skin and gives it an unmatchable glow. Also, skin which is damaged by the sun, can be healed faster, cause sauna improves blood circulation, which means that blood reaches the sunburned skin easily and aids in its healing.

Due to the increased temperatures in the sauna, the heart begins to beat faster. This gives an exercise to the heart and hence, the blood pressure is maintained at the right rate. Thus, taking a sauna bath is very useful for the heart health.

Sauna is included in many weight loss programs. Researches have shown that if a person undertakes exercises everyday, eats a balanced diet and combines these with sauna, he can lose a considerable amount of weight.

Sauna relaxes a person and rejuvenates his mind and body. The heat in the sauna is known to bring relief from aching muscles. After a sauna, a person can sleep better, thus, it helps in keeping a person feel fresh and energetic, throughout the next day.

Sauna removes the toxins from the body. It improves the circulation of blood and hence increases the flow of oxygen to various organs in the body. This greatly enhances quality of breathing in a person. Moreover, sauna is known to reduce stress and anxiety, which are the root cause of many diseases. It is also said that since sauna takes out the toxins and wastes from the body, it helps in reducing the pressure from the kidneys, which otherwise have to work overtime in eliminating wastes from the body.

People who have a heart condition such as unstable angina or high blood pressure or a heart disease, should stay away from saunas as the increased temperature might not suit them and can deteriorate their condition even further. Secondly, people who are suffering from a contagious disease should not use a public sauna as there is a risk that they can pass on the infection to someone else.

People who have some kind of bodily injuries or inflammatory diseases or those who have fever, should stay away from saunas too. For the simple reason that saunas can prove to be harmful to all such people. Lastly, people who drink alcohol in excess, should not go in for a sauna as it can overheat their bodies.

To enjoy the benefits of sauna and to avoid its risks, people with the conditions mentioned above, should refrain from going in for a sauna. Also, following some basic rules i.e. not taking alcohol before a session, drinking half a liter of water after the session and limiting the session to fifteen minutes, will ensure that nothing goes wrong. Still, even after taking these precautions, a person feels ill or overtly uncomfortable during the session, he should avoid saunas altogether and look for some other means of relaxation.