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What are the benefits and risks of a sauna?

Khabarhub

January 30, 2020

5 MIN READ

What are the benefits and risks of a sauna?

Advice and Tips for Using a Sauna for Your Health. ( Image for Representation/Shutter Stock)

KATHMANDU: On Wednesday, Hasta Bahadur Gurbuja Magar, the personal secretary of former Minister Tham Maya Thapa, and his wife Netra Kumari Pun died of suffocation at the Satdobato-based Fit and Fine Gym Center’s sauna last night.

The increased temperatures in Sauna can also lead to dizziness and nausea in some people while some people may be an unconscious due to different health problems.

Saunas are small rooms that are heated to temperatures between 150°F and 195°F (65°C to 90°C). They often have unpainted, wood interiors and temperature controls. Saunas may also include rocks (as part of their heating element) that absorb and give off heat. Water can be poured onto these rocks to create steam.

Relaxing in a hot, woodsy-scented sauna may be the best part of your gym workout or an enjoyable experience reserved for vacation. Whether you indulge several times a week or only once a year, saunas can provide relaxation and health benefits, such as reducing minor aches and pains.

How to use a sauna
If you’re lucky enough to have a sauna in your home, you won’t have to worry about etiquette. If, however, you’re sharing your sauna experience with other people (such as at the gym), there are important do’s and don’ts you should abide by. These include:

  • Take a quick, post-workout shower prior to using the sauna.
  • Enter and exit quickly. Saunas are airtight, to keep the heat inside. Opening the door releases heat, and should be done expeditiously.
  • Note the attire (or lack of it) of the people inside. In some saunas, nudity is acceptable. In others, wearing a towel or bathing suit is preferable.
  • Whether you’re nude or not, it’s never appropriate to sit directly on the bench. Make sure to bring a towel you can sit on, and take it with you when you leave.
  • Don’t stretch out if the sauna is crowded.
  • If the temperature is too hot or cold for you, ask for a group consensus prior to adjusting the thermostat or ladling water onto the sauna rocks. Keep in mind that you can also adjust the temperature to your personal liking by changing your seat level.
  • Keep conversation low, and do not employ rowdy behavior. Saunas are designed for relaxation.
  • Do not shave, tweeze, brush your hair, or groom in any way while using the sauna.
  • Do not leave litter of any kind behind, such as band-aids or bobby pins.

Sauna safety tips
Despite their benefits, saunas may not be appropriate for everyone. Check with your doctor before using a sauna, especially if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythm, or unstable angina. If you have any of these health conditions, limit your sauna use to five minutes per visit, and make sure to cool down slowly.

  • Check with your doctor if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant, before using a sauna.
  • Don’t use a sauna if you take medications that interfere with your body’s ability to regulate temperature or medications which make you drowsy.
  • Don’t use a sauna if you’re ill.
  • Drink at least one full glass of water before and after using a sauna, to avoid dehydration.
  • Don’t drink alcohol before, during, or after sauna use.
  • Don’t use recreational drugs before, during, or after sauna use.
  • Don’t eat a large meal prior to using a sauna.

An article published in the American Journal of Public Health recommends that healthy people not sit in a sauna for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. If you’re new to the sauna experience, listen to your body and start slowly (for no more than 5 to 10 minutes per session). You can build up your tolerance for the heat over multiple visits.

  • Never let yourself fall asleep in a sauna.
  • Exit the sauna if you feel dizzy or ill.

Saunas temporarily elevate the temperature of the scrotum. If you’re a man, this does not mean you can use a sauna as a birth control method. However, regular sauna use may temporarily reduce your sperm count and should be avoided if you’re actively attempting to impregnate your partner.

(with inputs from Agencies)

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