DYNAMICS OF A SAUNA

As a medical physician for over 50 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects and let you, the reader, come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary that results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Let me know how we are doing. Your constructive comments are always appreciated. Click the RSS post button on the upper right hand corner if you would like to receive by email our future medical blogs.
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GETTING HOT MAY BE DANGEROUS

Everyone loves hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs. They are great ways to relax after a strenuous workout. They relieve muscle aches and pains from exercise. But--------they come with built in dangers. Protect yourself by being aware of what could go wrong. Extreme sweating can produce a 4 to 6 pound loss in one hour. This weight loss method is dangerous and has no long-term benefits.

EFFECTS OF HOT ENVIRONMENTS

Sweat is lost water, not lost fat. Water loss is temporary and must be replaced. Since the body is about 60 to 70% water, the body can compensate for the water loss if it is less than 2% of your body weight is lost. When more water is lost, the fluid around the cells of your body decreases to dangerously low levels. This makes the fluid inside the cells leave, in an attempt to restore balance. This is called “dehydration” and can lead to heat stroke and death.

A hot environment can also stress your cardiovascular system. Blood flow increases to move the heat out of your body, and your blood vessels in the skin increase in size. As a result of massive amount of blood shunting to your skin, your heart output increases by 50% to 75%, and your pulse increases 60%,

Saunas are dry heat, and allow this your sweat to evaporate. This cooling effect of sweating is short-lived; because the sauna temperature may be double that of your skin. You will keep sweating until you run low of body water.

In a steam room, there is less heat loss, and more accumulation of body heat. The air is saturated with water in a steam room, so sweat does not easily evaporate. As sweat collects on your skin, sweating and diminishes.

In a hot tub, sweat does not evaporate because the skin is wet. The high water temperature prevents heat loss from your body. This results in you actually gaining heat from the water.

One should never exercise in a sauna or steam room. Exercise increases your inside body temperature for a long time. Since you are already dehydrated after a workout, exercising could spell disaster.

To monitor your sweat loss, weigh yourself before and after your workout. If your weight loss is over 2% of your body weight, do not enter the hot environments. A 5- pound weight loss equates to 5 pints of water lost, and it all needs to be replaced within the next 24 hours.

HOT TUBS

Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the water; it shouldn’t rise above 104 degrees.

If you start coughing, feel chilly and hot, and are short of breath, you may be getting a condition called "Hot Tub Lung." Bacteria getting into the steam of the hot water, polluting and infecting your lungs, cause it.

To keep the water clean and sanitary, be sure to change the water in your hot tub often and use the chemicals that are recommended by the owner's manual.

If you develop a red skin rash that becomes sore and blistered, particularly in the areas where your body is covered by clothing, you may be getting "Hot Tub Rash". Drain covers safety devices may cause the rash.

While soaking in a hot tub can help relieve muscle aches and pains and wash away the stress of the day, it can also cause you injury and even death if you're not careful.

Many hot tubs are fiberglass containers designed to hold water for an extended period of time. The water is heated either by electricity, natural gas, and sometimes-just firewood; all have potential dangers.

If the water temperature rises above 110ºF, you become very sleepy. Such high temperatures can also cause heat stroke, heart attack, skin burns and even brain damage. This, in turn, can lead to accidental drowning; it is the number one cause of injury and death in hot tubs. Children with long hair can be sucked into the drain cover fitting, especially if the drain is on the floor of the tub. (fitting should be on the wall). The heated water causes your blood vessels to dilate; this in turn, drops your blood pressure, causing you to pass out.

The combination of heat and alcohol can lead to catastrophe. Modern hot tubs can be heated to a maximum of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Drinking too much can cause drowsiness, blackouts, unconsciousness, and even drowning. Drowsiness can also occur if you are taking: aspirin, barbiturates, certain anti-depressants, tranquilizers, antihistamines, and cold and allergy medications.

Heat expands the blood vessels and increases the body's temperature. Alcohol also expands the blood vessels and increases the body's temperature. The combination of the two may be too much for your body to take, raising your body temperature so high that it results in a stroke or heart attack.

A normal healthy man makes 1,200 sperm per heartbeat. If you want to have a baby, better to stick to cold showers. The high heat of a sauna or steam bath, can cause a severe decrease in sperm count, leading to infertility.

SWEATING

Sweating is the body's natural way to release toxins from the body. So don't see perspiration as an enemy. Start seeing it as a friend. It is estimated that as much as 30% of bodily wastes can be eliminated through perspiration

Sweating helps your body rid itself of wastes caused by: anti-perspirants, artificial environments, smog, synthetic clothing, and a sedentary lifestyles. They all help clog up your skin pores and inhibit the healthy flow of sweat.

Hitting the sauna after a grueling workout relieves sore muscles. Saunas flush toxins from your body and also alleviate arthritis, the frequency of colds, asthma, and chronic fatigue. Twenty minutes should be enough to work up a good sweat. Always re-hydrate yourself by drinking two to four glasses of cool water afterward.

HEAT EFFECTS OF SAUNAS

The heat of a sauna (or steam bath) boosts the temperature of the surface of your body, causing blood vessels to dilate and the circulation in your skin to increase. As resistance to blood flow through the veins and capillaries drops, your blood pressure goes down. In response, your heartbeat goes up, trying to keep your blood pressure normal. The heat can also ease muscle stiffness, and you may notice an increase in energy, a decrease in stress, and improved sleep.

STEAM SAUNAS

People around the world have been using steam in the form of steam baths for thousands of years to promote good health and well-being.

Steam (or hyperthermia) helps to open up the pores so as to release toxins from the body via the skin. Heat speeds up the body's natural processes and is one of the best ways to detoxify your body.

Heat, radiating through the water, causes your muscles to relax and your pores to open. As your body's pores open up, numerous sweat glands start to excrete toxic waste products that have built up. In one session, as much as 30% of bodily waste can be eliminated by sweating.

Steam makes breathing easier, relieves stress, and muscle aches and pains; it increases your body circulation, cleans your skin, and boosts your immunity ((by increasing blood cell formation). Take a shower before entering the sauna, but don't use soap or shampoo. The perfumes used in soap will evaporate in the sauna and others may be offended.

Steam saunas that have tile must be treated daily with chemicals to keep mold down and kill bacteria. Be aware, you will also be breathing in some chemical fumes when in a steam sauna.

Dry saunas are almost always made with cedar wood. Cedar itself has a volatile organic chemical in it that is toxic, the same way that pine has a toxic organic chemical in it. All sauna wood is treated with arsenic and many other chemicals to preserve it from molds, termites, and other forms of decay. When you go into a cedar wood sauna that has treated, you may be inhaling arsenic and a lot of toxic fumes.

INFRARED SAUNAS

Instead of a stove, an infrared sauna has a special heater that generates infrared radiation, and warms the body rather than the surrounding air (as sunlight does).

You will sweat three times more than in a traditional sauna or steam room, resulting in a greater release of stored fats and toxins. One session is equivalent to running 10 to 15 miles.

STEAM BATHS

Doctors prescribe moist heat packs to treat muscle spasms and tension. People, who engage in vigorous physical activities, find steam baths ease their sore muscles and prevent them from cramping.

Steam baths relieve stress and increase circulation and help you sleep better, especially if you are dealing with insomnia. Your metabolism and immune system are raised, and your skin is cleansed of dirt and bacteria.

DEHYDRATION

Steam and sauna baths lead to dehydration. The heat makes you sweat a lot. In the process important salts as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron are literally sweated out.

Many think that drinking water before and after entering a sauna bath prevents dehydration. The truth is: no amount of plain water intake can replace the loss of your vital body salts. Since body water contains electrolytes (i.e. sodium, potassium etc.) drinking plain water can’t prevent dehydration.

Sweating causes your blood volume and, blood pressure to drop, resulting in less circulation and less oxygen to your vital body tissues, making you feel dizzy, nauseated, and weak. Sweat emulsifies the fat of your skin's glands and cleanses away the fat, oils, bacteria, impurities, and toxins the glands contain.

VASCULAR EFFECTS

Steam treatments stimulate the body's cardiovascular system. Within 15-20 minutes, the heart's pulse rate can increase from 75 to between 100 and 150 beats per minute.

The heat from the steam increases blood flow, causing the tiny blood vessels in the skin to expand - And this dual effect of increased blood flow and capillary dilation allows the bloodstream to carry greater amounts of nutrients to the skin making the skin healthier and glowing.

SKIN EFFECTS

The skin is the largest organ of elimination, followed by the bowels and kidneys. Steam heat helps clear dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, herpes zoster (shingles), acne, and pimples.

Skin eruptions are the body’s way of dumping toxins from the body. Skin problems mean major eliminative channel (organ) problems (mainly colon or intestinal problems). If you are not dumping, eliminating, or excreting from the rectum, then chances are you are dumping these toxins through your skin.

Regular dry heat will and does dry the skin, but steam washes toxins from the skin rather than allowing them to dry or bake back in. Steam also prevents dehydration of the delicate tissue of the lungs and respiratory system.

FACIAL STEAMING (TINTING)

If you suffer from sinus congestion and can’t breathe, try facial steaming (called "tinting") for 10-15 minutes. You can do this at home, by boiling a pot of water (to the point of steam), placing a large towel over your head, and inhaling the vapors of the steam. Add a few drops of essential oil of Eucalyptus (or White Camphor) and Pine to the boiling water to enhance the healing effect.

THE HEALTH CLUB

The Health Club provides a healthy alternative for indoor physical activity when it gets cold and outdoor activities as long and brisk walks become impossible.

Health clubs have activities that certainly make you more fit. You may enjoy a workout in the gym, a steam or sauna bath, or a scientific massage. It is not a resort for obese person to shedding extra pounds of fat.

Health club activities may prove unhealthy and dangerous if you are greatly overweight. Heavy exercise, weight lifting, and strenuous workouts can overload an already overburdened and may prove fatal.

PRECAUTIONS

ENTER THE SAUNA BATH WITH YOUR HEAD COVERED WITH A MOIST TOWEL Exposing your head to a body temperature average 98.4o F), can upset the delicate temperature regulating centre in the hypothalamic region of your brain.

NEVER BE ALONE IN A SAUNA BATH.

Sudden lowering of blood pressure brought in by excessive sweating and loss of precious salts from the body can make you collapse. Someone present in the sauna bath at that time can come to your rescue

NEVER LIE DOWN WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED IN A SAUNA BATH.

If you get a heat stroke or feel weak and giddy due to sudden lowering of blood pressure brought on by excessive sweating and loss of precious salts, it will not be noticed if you are lying down with your eyes closed.

COMMENTARY

Steam baths and saunas have become a popular part of modern spa and beauty culture. They have several health benefits including deep skin cleansing, detoxification and relaxation. However, too much of a good thing can be bad.

The very art of removing water from the body is medically wrong. It is highly risky and damages the body as large proportions of water lost through sweating comes from the blood. Circulatory capacity is adversely affected as sweat loss progresses, and is manifested by a decrease in circulating blood volume, a compensatory increase in heart rate, and decrease heart output.

Relaxation is central to sauna taking. Saunas can clear your mind, refresh the body, and leave you feeling rejuvenated. With this in mind, don't use the sauna to talk about business or controversial subjects as health reform. It's a place to get away from the world so keep conversation light and friendly.

Saunas are a time-proven method of bathing and are safe for just about everybody. The general rule, though, is that if you feel uncomfortable at any time, leave the sauna right away. Taking a sauna is not a contest, and there can be dangers if you stay in.

If it is a nice day, go outside and exercise, the fresh air and sunlight can be the boost you need.

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