Infrared radiation is not visible to the unaided human eye. The wavelengths for infrared are longer than those for red light, which we can see. Infrared saunas use infrared heaters to supply radiant heat that is absorbed into the body. While people with various types of arthritis often report a reduction in pain and stiffness during infrared sauna sessions, the improvement was not said to be statistically significant.
There are people who claim that infrared saunas are effective for burning calories, but this can be readily explained by the excessive heat absorbed by the body from the sauna sweating away some 500 grams (approximately 1 lb.) of water. While people do sweat profusely in a sauna, the number of calories the body spends cooling itself is not precisely known.
Infrared saunas are actually very different from traditional steam saunas. While th e main effect of saunas of both kinds is intensive sweating, in a steam sauna, the source of heat is the air that is very hot (80 to 120 degrees C). But in an infrared sauna, the source of heat is infrared radiation from the infrared heaters. Though the air in an infrared sauna is warm, it isn’t nearly as warm as the air in a traditional sauna. This means that people who take traditional saunas to help with asthma won’t get the benefit of breathing in the hot air if they use an infrared sauna, because the air isn’t that hot.
Infrared saunas do appear to provide health benefits, though those benefits have not been specifically spelled out by the medical profession, and it’s not clear how much they improve health. It is also unclear whether any purported benefits from infrared saunas come from the infrared radiation itself or elsewhere.
When you step into an infrared sauna, the room is heated to approximately 60 degre es centigrade. Because the human body does not function properly when the body temperature is heated or cooled by more than about 3 degrees centigrade, the body does what it can to keep its temperature constant. One way the body does this is by evaporating sweat from the skin. The body spends its heat making sweat that transfers onto the skin and evaporates, taking the heat of evaporation with it. So in a sauna – infrared or traditional – the human body has to release more heat than what it takes in from the environment.
Do infrared saunas benefit human health? Some sources claim that it benefits a wide variety of health problems, while others claim that there is no effect on health by infrared saunas. The truth appears to lie somewhere in between. For example, people with rheumatoid arthritis may experience a very soothing relief from pain from radiant heat that temporarily allows them to move more freely and comfortably, but i nfrared radiation may not have any effect whatsoever on the immune system, which is where this type of arthritis originates. Does that mean that the temporary relief is meaningless? No. Even temporary relief from pain and stiffness can be a real respite from an otherwise pain-filled day.
Infrared saunas have been given credit for benefiting a long list of health complaints, including but not limited to: cellulite, sunburn, clogged pores, acne, blackheads, psoriasis, dandruff, eczema, muscle tension and spasms, cancer, obesity, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Research indicates that those benefits may be temporary in many cases and that infrared saunas don’t directly affect the causes of any of these health problems. But does that mean they’re worthless in helping someone with psoriasis or chronic fatigue syndrome get through their day more easily? Who’s to say but the person experiencing it?
An infrared sauna basically causes three major bodily adaptations: the blood flow to the skin increases, the heart rate increases, and the body sweats profusely. These changes alone obviously channel blood flow where blood flow may not normally flow as much, and sweat comes out of the skin, taking whatever is dissolved in the sweat away with it. Improved circulation and riddance from the toxins dissolved in sweat are, in moderation, good things.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of infrared saunas is the relaxation and relief from stress. In other words, it feels good. Some people prefer relaxing in a hot tub, some in a traditional steam sauna, and some people prefer relaxing in a normal hot bath in their bathroom, but the underlying principle is similar: being still and doing nothing for a while feels good.
But it is important to remember that IR saunas, like the other forms of relaxation listed in the previous paragraph, have their limits, and even dangers. Too much sweating can cause dehydration, causing the body to lose essential minerals and fluids. Anyone with an acute illness like flu or an injury like a sprain, should avoid saunas for at least 48 hours, because the body’s reaction to the sauna may affect its ability to “concentrate” on healing the illness or injury. Most infrared sauna dangers are to people with underlying health problems, people who use illicit drugs and alcohol before or during sauna use, and people who do not stay hydrated.
Even healthy people can overdo it when it comes to infrared saunas and end up with a heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Anyone who suspects he or she is overheating should get out of the sauna. People undergoing a sauna detoxification program, where they may spend up to an hour a day in an infrared sauna, should monitor their body temperature regularly and get out if their body temperature rises by more than 3 degrees centigrade.
It is a good idea for anyone using a sauna to drink either water or electrolyte replacement drinks before, during, and after using the sauna. A common rule of thumb is to drink one half cup or more every 15 minutes. Drinking alcohol before or during sauna use is very unwise. There are some people who should avoid infrared saunas and other types of saunas altogether. This category includes people with stroke, aortic stenosis, recent heart attack, unstable angina, lupus, or brain tumors. People taking steroids should also avoid saunas.
There are also people who should only use infrared saunas or steam saunas under the supervision of a doctor. These are people with multiple sclerosis, silicone implants, pacemakers, cochlear (ear) implants, and diabetes.
The good news is that other than in cases of aortic stenosis, unstable angina, and recent heart attack, saunas do not cause heart problems in healthy users. So me studies even suggest that high blood pressure may be lowered by regular sauna use. Early studies on saunas and congestive heart failure have promising results suggesting that short infrared sauna sessions may be helpful.
Anyone taking medicine by means of a transdermal patch should at least check with a doctor before getting in a sauna because the medication levels could be affected, and the adhesive may come off with sweat. Anyone on insulin should check with their doctor and test his or her blood glucose levels before and after a sauna to learn how body heating affects them.
People should be aware that past drug use may come back to haunt them if they use a sauna. This is because drugs that are stored in fatty tissue may get pulled into the bloodstream during a sauna session. While this isn’t a major problem for most people, there have been reports of LSD users experiencing hallucinations as the drug residue enters into the bloodstream again.
Like with most things in life, infrared sauna dangers are usually not pronounced when infrared saunas are used with common sense: no alcohol, don’t stay in too long, and don’t use them if y ou have certain health problems. Used reasonably by healthy people, they can be great for relieving stress.
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