Sauna contraindications and recommendations for visiting the sauna from specialists

Visiting a bathhouse or sauna brings not only pleasure, but also benefits. This process strengthens the human body and immunity. But does the sauna have any contraindications? It is important to know them for all people who are going to perform the ancient ritual of bathing in a bathhouse, because the benefits and harms of this procedure largely depend on the individual characteristics of the person.

What is the difference between pairs?

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The general principle of such procedures is the effect of high temperatures on the skin and body. Steam rooms differ not only in temperature conditions, but also in air humidity.

• The main attribute of a Russian bath is wet steam: at an air temperature of 50–70°C, humidity reaches the same percentage values. In a Russian bathhouse, there is nowhere for sweat to evaporate: there is not enough temperature, plus high air humidity interferes. In this case, hot steam can have an aggressive effect on the skin, causing dilation of superficial vessels and an intense rush of blood to the skin of the face. For this reason, visiting the bathhouse is not recommended for people with rosacea and sensitive skin.

• In a Turkish hammam, the air temperature does not exceed 40–45 °C, and the humidity reaches 80–90%. The hammam is characterized by a low air temperature and a large amount of moisture, which condenses on surfaces that are less heated than the air. This applies to skin that collects not so much moisture as condensation. This steam room is comfortable for most people due to moderate temperature and high humidity: the skin does not dry out and blood vessels do not dilate. The hammam can be visited by people with sensitive, dry skin and rosacea.

• In a classic sauna, the temperature is 100–120 °C, and the humidity is only 10–15%. These conditions affect the body in different ways. It is easier for a person to be in a sauna: the air contains a lot of oxygen and little moisture. At high temperatures, intense sweat production occurs, which quickly evaporates from the surface of the skin. At the same time, the microclimate is harmful for those with sensitive, dry and couperose skin: dehydration of the body increases.

Visit steam rooms 1-2 times a week if you feel good in hot conditions: regardless of the type of steam room and the intensity of sweating, the body is cleansed of waste and toxins. It also cleanses the pores, exfoliates and softens rough areas of the skin, and moisturizes the skin.

Who can and who can't

Indications

When analyzing whether it is possible to steam, it is worth considering both the arguments “for” and the arguments “against”.

Let's start, perhaps, with something pleasant - who not only can, but also needs to go to the bathhouse:

• Sauna and bathhouse have a positive effect on the course of cardiovascular diseases - myocarditis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, coronary disease, etc. The main thing is that there are no signs of inflammation and heart failure. You can also go to the bathhouse if you have had a myocardial infarction, but only if at least six months have passed since it.

Advice! In any case, if there are diseases of the circulatory system, the heating mode should be gentle.

• For respiratory diseases, the bathhouse is practically a panacea: in the steam room you can treat and prevent allergic diseases, sinusitis, laryngitis, chronic bronchitis, etc. It is also worth visiting the sauna after recovery from pneumonia, bronchial asthma, inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, etc.

Massage treatments (pictured) are part of sports training

• Since the effectiveness of massage procedures in a bathhouse increases many times over, it is impossible not to use this for the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The combination of a steam room and massage allows for effective correction of posture, increasing overall muscle tone (especially useful during sports activities), recovery from injuries, etc.

Advice! For rheumatism and arthritis, massage with brooms (birch, oak, nettle, etc.) is especially useful.

In addition, bath procedures can be recommended for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, the prevention of kidney and liver failure, in obstetrics, gynecology, etc.

Contraindications

However, there are situations in which you will have to refuse a bath. They are connected, first of all, with the fact that the body simply cannot cope with the increased load exerted by the hot and humid air of the steam room.

Among these contraindications are:

• First of all, these are, of course, cardiovascular diseases associated with high blood pressure, namely hypertension. If your upper pressure reaches 200-220 mmHg, then a bathhouse, alas, is contraindicated for you.

If you feel unwell, it’s time to leave the steam room!

• The list of prohibitions also includes angina pectoris, acute heart failure and acute heart attack up to six months. Alas, in these conditions the heart may simply not be able to cope.
• As for the respiratory system, the list of prohibitions is somewhat smaller. It is not recommended to take a steam bath only when the viral disease is in full swing and the body is weakened.

Before visiting the steam room, it is better to consult a doctor

• Epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and some other nervous diseases can also cause a ban on visiting saunas and steam rooms. In the case of diseases of the brain and spinal cord, you should definitely consult with your doctor, as the consequences can be very sad.
• Other prohibitions include diseases of various organs and systems that are in the process of healing. It is better to completely undergo the medical procedures prescribed by your doctor, and only then recover in the steam room.
• Late pregnancy should also be included in this list. Don't risk the health of your unborn child!

Fungus

Speaking about the list of contraindications that any medical instruction for bath procedures contains, we should not forget about such an unpleasant disease as fungus:

It is necessary to combat foot fungus comprehensively

• Fungal diseases can be “caught” not only in public baths, but also in a private steam room. The thing is that spores are present on the skin of almost humans, and only when they enter the blood or mucous membranes of a person with a weakened immune system, they cause disease.
• In a warm and humid environment (namely, these are the conditions in a bathhouse), fungal spores feel very comfortable, and therefore, when they enter the body, they develop very quickly and increase their numbers.
• Risk factors include skin damage, calluses, varicose veins and other vascular diseases. If you fall into a “risk group”, you should treat your feet and other problem areas with antifungal ointments in advance, and also strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene.
• Well, if the fungus has already settled in you, then until the end of all treatment procedures you should forget about the steam room.

Treating the floor with a fungicide is very important!

Note! The bathhouse owner should also pay attention to the sanitary condition of the premises. To avoid outbreaks of fungal infections, it is necessary to control the humidity conditions and periodically perform disinfection.

What to do before and after visiting the steam room

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In the intervals between steaming, you can do contrast hardening or rest at room temperature. This increases blood circulation in the skin, has a positive effect on metabolism and strengthens the immune system.

Before visiting the steam room, take a shower and cleanse your face. After steaming, water procedures are also recommended: the pores are wide open, and the sebaceous glands, narrowing, draw back harmful substances that are released with sweat. This leads to inflammation or worsening of the inflammatory process, for example, with acne. Warm skin absorbs nutrients more effectively, and after a shower it is recommended to apply skincare products: serums, creams or masks.

The main life hack for any steam room: use a broom to enhance the beneficial properties of steaming. The leaves and bark contain trace elements, phytoncides and aromatic oils that have a healing effect on the entire body.

After a sauna or bath, anti-cellulite and lymphatic drainage massages are especially useful, for example, in combination with body peeling.

Indications for visiting the sauna

This procedure is recommended for diseases of the cardiovascular system that occur without inflammation and heart failure. A wet steam bath is recommended for people who suffer from chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, tonsillitis, gout, rhinitis, polyarthritis, and radiculitis.

The beneficial properties of the sauna are indispensable for skin diseases, cystitis, arthrosis, hypertension, chronic colds, as well as for most kidney and liver pathologies. It is believed that the bath has a positive effect on people with hypotension and certain gallbladder pathologies.

Contraindications

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The steam room is dangerous for people with hypertension and other problems with the heart and blood vessels. Those who have severe chronic diseases should visit steam rooms with special caution: diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, a history of cancer, neurological pathologies. If you have health problems, visit the steam room only after consulting a doctor.

Contraindications are also considered inflammatory skin diseases, exacerbation of acne and rosacea, wounds and fresh scars. Refrain from visiting the steam room during the recovery period after aggressive cosmetic procedures that result in damage to the integrity of the skin: chemical peels, laser resurfacing, injections. If you plan to visit the steam room, check with your cosmetologist about the duration of the rehabilitation period in your case.

The benefits of baths for women and men

There is no doubt about the health benefits of a bath. The procedure improves skin tone, cleanses pores, removes toxins and stimulates all body functions. After the steam room, a person feels cheerful and energized.

The bath is especially useful:

1. For the musculoskeletal system. Thanks to increased blood flow, the elasticity of joints and cartilage tissue increases.
2. For the respiratory system. Steam helps cleanse the lungs and bronchi.
3. For training the heart muscle and blood vessels. It is worth noting that the bath in this case is useful only as a preventive measure.

Is the sauna equally beneficial for men and women? Doctors are inclined to believe that the steam room brings more benefits to the stronger half. But we will talk about possible harm below.

What types of baths are there?

Of course, the most familiar and popular to us is the RUSSIAN BATH. The air temperature in it is 40-45°, relative humidity is 60-80%. A real Russian bathhouse is a wooden hut, which consists of two rooms: a dressing room and a steam room. In the steam room, or, as we used to say, “in the steam room,” there is a stove with stones. Steam is produced by pouring water onto hot stones.

The FINNISH SAUNA is now very common in our country. Its main difference from a Russian bath is dry steam. The temperature in the Finnish steam room can reach 100°. The relative humidity is very low - from 10 to 30%. They don't use a broom in it.

TURKISH HAMMAM AND IRISH BATH are the first followers of Roman baths. Their main feature is heated stone floors and sun loungers. The steam in these baths comes from water boiling in boilers. In total, there are about five rooms in such a bathhouse, in which the air temperature increases from 40-50° to 70-80°.

JAPANESE FURO is also based on the principle of Roman baths and is a heated pool with a temperature from 35-40° to 50-60°C. This is the temperature the human body needs to completely relax. The procedure is completed with contrasting immersions in cold and hot water.

Due to high temperatures in baths, heat transfer in the human body slows down and, consequently, thermal balance is disturbed: heat is retained and accumulated in the body. This leads to an increase in body temperature and mobilization of thermoregulatory functions to remove excess heat from the body.

It is worth noting that in dry air, sweating occurs more easily and the effect of heat on the body is milder than in humid air. Therefore, at a temperature of 90°C, air humidity should be only 10%, at 110°C - only 5%.

Massage in the bathhouse increases motor response, improves coordination and blood circulation. If your skin is dry and sensitive, a Turkish steam room is better for you, and if your skin type is normal, a Finnish sauna is better.

Is a sauna good for weight loss?

For women, the benefits of a sauna are associated with additional motivation associated with weight loss opportunities and a rejuvenating effect.

Some believe that the beneficial properties of the Finnish sauna lie in burning fat. However, this is a misconception: weight loss occurs due to intense sweating. So, in one session in the sauna you can “lose” an average of 2 kilograms, or more precisely, 2 liters of body moisture.

Maximum sweating is observed during the first and second entry into the steam room. On the second visit, a general massage with a broom will benefit.

Important! Make sure that the body in the bath does not cool down between visits to the steam room. To resume sweating, it will be useful to drink half a glass of lemon or mashed cranberry tea.

After the procedure in the Finnish sauna, you should check your weight to control it. At home, it is better to lie in a warm bed for up to 2 hours, and then a walk in the fresh air will have a beneficial effect. It is advisable to refrain from drinking for 4 hours: this will slow down the compensatory mechanism of moisture accumulation in the body.

And the main thing is systematicity. It is known that regularly visiting the Finnish sauna eliminates the problem of weight loss as such.

True deep cleansing

It is interesting to note that the bath cleanses the skin much more effectively than any soap or scrub. Firstly, cleaning is carried out both outside and inside. The sebaceous and sweat glands, heated by steam, begin to work at full capacity and literally push out of the skin everything that has penetrated there from the external environment. At the same time, they also cleanse their own ducts - avid bath-goers do not have either black or white comedones. Everything disappears by itself.

Secondly, dry skin is also unfamiliar to bathhouse lovers. Increased blood circulation, free pores and intensively working sebaceous glands saturate it with the necessary moisture better than the most expensive moisturizing “nano” creams.

Dead and keratinized cells are rejected naturally, and after each visit to the bathhouse, the skin looks younger. No rough elbows or knees - everything is soft and elastic.

Is going to the steam room allowed for acute pathology?

If the disease is in an acute stage, in addition to this, complications develop; visiting the bathhouse is strictly prohibited, as this can aggravate the patient’s well-being. Warming up the body is possible only after the patient’s condition improves.

General recommendations:

1. Avoid swimming if your body temperature is higher than normal. Water procedures are replaced with rubdowns. To do this, you need to moisten a towel with warm water and wipe the body.
2. When wiping, you cannot completely undress. Each part of the body is exposed gradually.
3. Perform hygiene procedures before going to bed.
4. When the unpleasant symptoms pass, you can start taking a shower. It is better to avoid going to the bath until complete recovery.

If you have pneumonia, it is strictly forbidden to visit public swimming pools or swim in rivers or lakes.

How to use a sauna correctly

The body accumulates the main heat during the very first entry into the steam room. Therefore, for the main therapeutic effect of the bath, entering for 10-15 minutes will be sufficient. A longer stay in the steam room gradually transfers the body to deep heating, which significantly changes the metabolic, regulatory, hormonal and immune processes of the body.

1. Before entering the sauna steam room, you must take a shower, avoiding getting your head wet. After this, you need to wipe the body dry.
2. For the first time, the so-called warm-up in the steam room for 3 – 4 minutes will be useful. Next, you should take a shower with water at room temperature and take 1 rest for up to half an hour.
3. The second run should be longer, up to 15 minutes, after which another shower, but cooler;
   and again take a half-hour break. Important! The following rules will bring benefits to visiting a Finnish sauna: gradualness, feasibility and consistency.
4. It would be optimal to make three passes. However, there may be more: it all depends on the preparedness of the body.
5. The maximum total time for all procedures in a Finnish bath should not exceed three hours.
6. You should finish with a shower, wash your hair, and soak your body with a moisturizing lotion or cream to prevent the harmful effects of dehydration in the form of dry body.
7. Clothes are put on after the body has completely cooled down.
8. The optimal position in the steam room is lying down.
   For beginners, it is better to lie on the middle shelf. Lying at an angle (legs higher than the body) will help reduce the load on the heart. It is considered unphysiological to sit with your legs down: it is better to raise them to the level of your body. Important! Standing in the sauna is prohibited to avoid the harm of heat stroke if the body is not relaxed.
9. To evenly warm up the body in the sauna, it is necessary to periodically change positions: on the side - on the back - on the stomach.
10. In the steam room you need to breathe through your nose: this way the air is optimally cooled and humidified.
11. Before leaving the steam room, you should first rise from a lying position and sit to prepare your body for standing. Observations noted the absence of weakness when standing up after a massage with brooms.
12. It will be useful to do a couple of warm-up exercises before getting up.
13. After leaving the steam room, you should walk for about 3 minutes and breathe actively.
14. The re-entry also begins with light exercises and a warm shower with drying.
15. In a Finnish sauna, it is better to drink tea in small sips: this will help maintain sweating.
16. When going to a Finnish sauna, you take a bath towel and a sheet with you, which you can throw over yourself and then lay on the shelf. To protect the head from overheating, wear a felt cap or a wool cap.
17. You will benefit from applying a scrub to steamed skin, and after the next use, a moisturizing, non-greasy body mask.
18. Bathing procedures are not recommended immediately after meals, especially with strong drinks. To restore the water-salt balance of the body and stabilize metabolism during the sauna, you should drink water, a fortified infusion or green tea.

Attention! If there is any discomfort in the body, you must leave the steam room.

Sauna for children

It has been noted that regular visits to the Finnish sauna by children are beneficial in the prevention of upper respiratory tract diseases: the incidence rate is reduced, and in case of infection, recovery is faster.

The correct age to introduce a child to a bathhouse is 3 years or older.

At the same time, it is important that the baby is physically developed, active, and healthy.

Since the body of children, compared to adults, heats up faster, the time a child spends in a steam sauna should be reduced to avoid heat stroke: by 5 years - to 3 minutes, and after 5 years - to 5 minutes.

The bottom shelf of the sauna will be useful for children. The child's head should not be higher than 90 cm from the floor: this corresponds to 65 oC. For children under 5 years old, one visit to the steam room will be enough: it is better to hold him in your arms. Preschoolers can do 2 passes, and schoolchildren - 3.

Interesting! The Finnish sauna has the benefit of increasing growth hormone levels by up to 163%.

What are the benefits of sport during treatment?

A sedentary lifestyle does not contribute to recovery in any way, but rather, on the contrary, has a detrimental effect on the body. While playing sports in the presence of gastritis or other functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract speeds up the healing process. When you swim, jump or run, a kind of slight shake-up of the internal organs occurs, thereby providing them with a beneficial massage that cannot be achieved at rest. Physical activity during treatment has a positive effect:

• on blood circulation in the walls of the digestive organ, as a result of which restoration processes are launched;
• oxygen saturation of the tissues of internal organs;
• effect on the secretory function and motility of the stomach, which improves the process of food digestion;
• diaphragmatic breathing.

If you have gastrointestinal diseases, you can engage in sports such as swimming, fitness, aerobics, race walking, running, volleyball, cycling and others that do not require much physical effort. Physical training will boost immunity and promote recovery.

Despite the great benefits of sports, there may still be some limitations in the treatment of gastritis. For example, you should not engage in weightlifting, wrestling, or other contact sports that pose a risk of injury. During the period of treatment, and even more so in a state of exacerbation, it is better to hold off on training.

Exhaustive training is contraindicated for gastritis

The only thing that patients who lead a sports lifestyle need is to follow a few rules that will allow them to achieve greater effectiveness from physical exercise and will not provoke the development of an exacerbation of the disease with its help. A large amount of information about whether it is possible to play sports with gastritis is given by gastroenterologists. . They not only allow their patients to exercise, but also strongly recommend it. A sports lifestyle, according to doctors, leads to a speedy recovery.

This is achieved due to the fact that:

• a person engaged in physical activity improves diaphragmatic breathing;
• if you regularly exercise during gastritis, the secretory and motor functions of the stomach will be normalized, which, accordingly, will lead to neurohumoral regulation of digestive processes;
• trophism of the gastric mucosa in athletic people is restored more effectively;
• blood circulation improves in the abdominal cavity, and this creates favorable conditions for recovery processes.

The only thing that is necessary for patients leading a sports lifestyle is to follow several rules that will allow them to achieve greater effectiveness from physical education, and will not provoke the development of an exacerbation of the disease with its help - during the acute period of gastritis (the first 7-10 days) any training is strictly contraindicated, they can be started only after the pain syndrome has been completely relieved.

With this pathology of the stomach, you can engage in aerobics (this sport is considered the best), cycling, running, swimming and walking. Strength exercises are contraindicated, as they have a negative effect on the secretory and motor functions of the digestive organ. All these factors speak for themselves that treatment of gastritis and physical education should be inextricably linked with each other.

Professional sports are contraindicated. It is advisable to consult a good doctor about engaging in a particular sport. Many physicians believe only in miracle pills and do not realize that sport can also heal. Sports activities for the purpose of recovery can be started during a period of stable remission.

Pilates, yoga, stretching are ideal options for physical activity for high acidity. Tennis, badminton, football, and ice skating are also allowed. Gastritis is also not a hindrance to fitness and the gym. The main thing is moderation and proper nutrition. You need to be especially careful with sports supplements (for example, amino acids).

Professional sports with gastritis are contraindicated

It is strictly forbidden to visit the bathhouse and sauna if you are vomiting, diarrhea, or in the acute phase of the disease. It is necessary to wait for remission. When visiting the bathhouse, it is advisable to adhere to the following recommendations: time in the steam room - 5-10 minutes; temperature 60-70 degrees; It is better not to eat for at least an hour before the bath.