The Difference Between Steam & Sauna

Saunas and steam rooms have long been popular in spas and gyms, but these once-luxurious bathing options have become a trend in home design, according to "New Home Trends Today." While saunas and steam rooms share many of the same benefits and risks, and both induce profuse sweating, they also differ in several ways.

History

Steam room usage dates back thousands of years and crosses the globe. Peter James and Nick Thorpe, in their book "Ancient Inventions," credit pre-Roman civilizations in Portugal with using the first known steam baths. Early civilizations in Japan, Mexico, Rome, Greece and North America all used steam for cleansing.
James and Thorpe credit the first saunas to the latter part of the second century B.C., during the Bronze Age of Britain. Saunas scattered across northern Europe and dating from the 10th century A.D. are credited to the Vikings. The modern dry heat sauna was developed from the early Vikings by the Finns.

Heat Source

In a modern-day steam room, vapor is created by a steam generator. In contrast, heat in a sauna is given off from heated stones placed on a heater. While today's saunas allow for continual heating of the stones (by electricity, gas, fire or oil) and not many stones are needed to maintain heat in the room, the original saunas required many stones to be heated in order to create and retain enough heat to make the body sweat. Stone selection is important, as stones can crack or, if any pocket of moisture remains inside, can explode when heated. A modern variation to stone heating is infrared heating, which uses an infrared radiator to heat the bathers directly.

Architecture

Modern-day steam rooms are vapor-proof rooms that trap heat. Their walls are usually tiled, and a special, steam-proof door seals the room. Seating is also covered with ceramic tiles to protect it from moisture. Saunas, on the other hand, are usually constructed, top to bottom, of cedar wood.

Temperature and Humidity

Because steam rooms use water vapor for heat, their temperatures are necessarily kept lower than those of saunas. Higher temperatures in a steam room would cause skin burns. Generally speaking, ideal steam room temperatures are maintained between 110 and 114 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Go Ask Alice, a journal of Columbia University. The humidity in steam rooms is 100 percent. Saunas, because they use dry heat, can have temperatures between 160 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. While water can be poured over the rocks of some saunas to create a bit of steam, the steam generally evaporates too quickly burn a bather.

Health Risks and Benefits

Dr. Andrew Weil credits sauna exposure with improving circulation. A report by the National Institutes of Health credits saunas with relieving some of the symptoms associated with rheumatic diseases.
Go Ask Alice reports that relaxation and superficial skin cleansing are the main benefits of both steam baths and saunas. They both can lower blood pressure and pulse, as well as remove salt from the system through perspiration. The University of Munich's Institute of Medical Balneotherapy and Climatology reports that both can improve muscular tension, improve dry, chapped skin and improve sleep. Further, the Institute reports that bronchial asthma, coughs and hoarseness can be improved.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can be debilitating and can cause dehydration, a risk common to both steam rooms and saunas.