Saunas have been used for centuries for everything from sacred religious rites to healing. Even today saunas are a regular fixture in health and fitness centers across the United States and in many countries throughout the world. Saunas can be separated into two types--dry saunas and wet (steam) saunas. Dry saunas use high dry heat (170 to 180 degrees F) while steam saunas remain at a lower temperature to prevent the moisture in the air from burning the skin (100 to 110 degrees F), says the U.S. Air Force Fitness and Sports Program. Before you use a dry or wet sauna, it is important to understand the possible risks to prevent possible serious injury or health problems.
Dehydration
Dehydration is one of the most common risks of using a sauna. As a sauna raises your internal temperature, the body reacts by opening the pores on your skin, cooling the body through sweating. The longer you spend in a sauna, the more sweat your body will produce, reducing your water supply. If your water supplies are not replenished, eventually you will become dangerously dehydrated.
Blood Pressure
The body may also react to the heat of the sauna by dilating blood vessels. By dilating your blood vessels, the body can pull blood closer to the surface of the skin in an effort to expose the blood to the cooler atmosphere outside the body. This results in the flushed warm feeling of your skin as your body begins to heat up. As the blood vessels dilate to deal with the excessive heat, your blood pressure drops, says the Mayo Clinic. This drop can be dangerous for those who already suffer from hypotension (low blood pressure).
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke may also occur from spending time in a sauna. Heat stroke occurs when the temperature of the sauna causes your body temperature to go above 104 degree F, says the Mass General Hospital for Children. The body largely relies on a cooler environmental temperature for the body to cool itself through sweat. In a sauna, the environmental temperature is higher than the temperature of the body. When heat stroke occurs and the body is unable to cool itself down, serious complications can occur, including organ failure, brain damage and even death.
Hypovolemic Shock
Potential serious side effects can also occur while using a sauna. For example, dehydration, mixed with the blood pressure drop, caused by sauna use can result in hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock occurs when blood pressure and blood volume become so low that the tissues of your body can no longer get the oxygen they need to survive. The Mayo Clinic says if the situation is left untreated, this can result in death in as little as a few minutes or a few hours.
Member Comments