Saunas have long been used for health and wellness. Today, saunas come in a number of different types that all accomplish roughly the same thing -- raising body temperature, promoting perspiration and ridding the body of harmful toxins. Regular sauna use offers myriad benefits, not the least of which is a lower body toxicity. However, sauna use also poses a few risks; understanding a few considerations is important.
Function
A traditional sauna is a wooden room filled with dry heat that can rise as high as 185 degrees F. In such heat, the skin's temperature can increase quickly, up to 104 degrees F in some cases, while pulse rate increases by as much as 30 percent. These basic reactions prompt the heart to pump harder and the skin to begin perspiring, thereby initiating the detoxification process.
Dry Sauna
A dry sauna is an effective sauna technology that can help detoxify the body. Heat in a dry sauna is typically produced by a wood-burning oven, with temperature ranging from 140 to 150 degrees F. Popular in Scandinavian countries, dry saunas raise body temperature and induce perspiration more quickly than other sauna types, thereby ridding the body of waste products. While this may be a boon to the detox process, it can also be risky for beginners, as dry sauna heat can irritate the membranes of the nose and lungs.
Steam Sauna
Unlike a dry sauna, a steam sauna is one in which very hot steam is created by pouring water over hot rocks to heat the room to around 150 degrees F. Modern steam saunas also mechanically pump steam into the room via a ventilation system. The steam increases body temperature and promotes perspiration to remove toxins while loosening up respiratory muscles.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas have recently garnered increasing attention as an effective way to rid the body of harmful toxins. These saunas employ far-infrared radiant, or FIR, heat that warms the body the way sunlight would. The sauna heats the body directly, rather than the air around it. FIR sauna users prefer this method since steam and other dry-heat saunas can prove difficult to breathe in.
Considerations
Using a sauna for detoxification carries with it a certain amount of risk. It is especially important to drink plenty of water after each sauna session to replace the water you've lost through sweating. This can also help aid in flushing the kidneys of any toxins. In addition, some saunas, especially steam-powered ones, can be home to harmful bacteria if not properly disinfected. Finally, for some users, it might be important to see a doctor to help set some important ground rules.
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