Infrared saunas use infrared light rays instead of heat from steam. You can’t see infrared light, because its wavelength is slightly longer than the longest wavelength light the human eye can see, which is red. Infrared saunas provide infrared sauna therapy by supplying radiant infrared heat that the body absorbs directly. This type of heat therapy is reported to relieve some of the pain and stiffness of people who have arthritis.
An infrared sauna can be shipped to your home all in one piece. Most owners view their infrared sauna as a very valuable (and heavy) piece of furniture. Wherever you put it, at least two of its sides will be exposed and visible, so it is important to keep from marring or dinging the outside of the sauna when you bring it into your house.
Among the reported infrared sauna benefits are claims that infrared saunas help people burn calories. However, any weight loss evident after infrared sauna therapy can most likely be explained by the heat absorbed by the body causing significant sweating. People can sweat away up to one pound of water after using an infrared sauna, so reports of infrared sauna weight loss are most likely attributable to loss of water.
Infrared saunas work differently from traditional saunas, which use steam. Both types of saunas will cause profuse sweating, but in a traditional steam sauna, the air is hot – up to 120 degrees centigrade – while in an infrared sauna, it is the infrared rays themselves that are the source of the heat. The temperature in infrared saunas is warm, but not nearly as warm as the air in a regular sauna. While many people like having the infrared sauna health benefits without the extreme temperatures, people who use steam saunas to relieve discomfort from asthma will not likely have the same benefits in an infrared sauna, because the air is not as warm.
This is not to say that infrared saunas do not have health benefits. Infrared sauna therapy is believed to have effects on the human immune system and on the sympathetic nervous system. But infrared saunas are still new enough that studies have not been done to determine whether any benefits from this type of sauna therapy come from the infrared radiation, or from elsewhere.
Infrared saunas have a temperature of approximately 60 degrees centigrade, which is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot, but not as hot as a steam sauna. Because of the way the human body is programmed, it does not function well when the body temperature rises or falls by any more than about three degrees C. When this happens, the body kicks into action to keep its temperature constant. When it is hot, the body keeps cool by sweating, which evaporates and brings cooling. The body creates sweat, which is pumped out through the sweat glands and evaporates. The heat of evaporation goes away with the sweat, causing cooling. Whether you’re in an infrared sauna or a traditional sauna, the body works to cool itself down by sweating.
There is not enough evidence one way or another to say whether infrared saunas have real health benefits. While some sources of information say that they promote weight loss and improve blood flow, other sources say there is no basis for the claims. There has really not been enough scientific experimentation to say one way or the other whether infrared saunas affect health. There is, however, anecdotal evidence that it makes people with various conditions feel better, such as the people with rheumatoid arthritis mentioned above. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis undergo physical therapy that involves warm paraffin baths. The paraffin baths don’t necessarily help the disease, but they do relieve pain and stiffness. So it is really up to the individual to decide if using an infrared sauna causes a perceived increase in well being.
Some of the conditions that infrared sauna therapy is said to help are:
- acne
- blackheads
- cancer
- cellulite
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- clogged pores
- dandruff
- eczema
- fibromyalgia
- muscle tension
- obesity
- psoriasis
- sunburn
So far there is no real scientific basis for these claims. If infrared saunas relieved all those conditions, there would probably be one in every home. But while infrared saunas may not affect the disease process, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t beneficial. Even temporary relief is important to people who suffer from fibromyalgia or eczema. As for the bolder claims that infrared sauna therapy can help cancer, nobody should put their hope into infrared saunas for cancer until scientifically valid research is done showing whether it has an effect. The bottom line is: infrared saunas feel good, and that can help people with a number of health conditions.
When you step into an infrared sauna, the body undergoes three major adaptations. The heart rate increases, blood flow to the skin increases, and the body starts pumping out sweat. So blood flows to the skin more readily than it does in normal temperatures, and when sweat comes out of the skin and evaporates, it takes whatever might be dissolved in it away too. How much in the way of toxins the excess sweat rids the body of is not known, and the definition of “toxins” is rather vague in itself.
It is safe to say, however, that infrared saunas do provide stress relief in the form of relaxation. Like a hot bath or a massage, using an infrared sauna feels good. Psychologists know that simple actions such as stepping away from a source of stress, breathing deeply, and being still for a while are actions that tend to relieve stress. (That is a reason why smokers often find that their habit relieves stress: they step away from the action; they breathe deeply (for good or ill), and they basically are still for a few minutes. Psychologists think that may help explain why it is such a hard addiction to break.)
Infrared saunas do have their drawbacks, however, and even their dangers. If you sweat too profusely, you can become dehydrated, which can be dangerous if you lose too many fluids, minerals, and electrolytes. Anyone with an injury such as a sprain or hematoma should avoid saunas for at least two or three days. And anyone with an illness such as flu or viral gastritis should also avoid infrared saunas until they have recovered.
Saunas can also be dangerous to people with certain underlying health problems such as heart defects. People who use illegal drugs and who drink to excess can also be endangered by use of an infrared sauna (or a regular sauna). People who have had a stroke, a recent heart attack, or who have lupus, angina, brain tumors, or aortic stenosis should avoid saunas as should people taking steroids. And even the healthiest infrared sauna users should ensure that they are well hydrated before, during, and after sauna use.
Healthy people who use infrared saunas too much can end up with heat exhaustion or even heat stroke if they overdo it. If you feel like you are overheating, get out of the infrared sauna at once. Sauna detoxification, or sauna detox for short, involves spending up to an hour a day inside an infrared sauna. If you try this, be sure to monitor your body temperature regularly. If your body temperature rises by more than 3 degrees C, you should vacate the infrared sauna immediately to reduce your risk of heat-related illness.
For sauna detox sessions and even just regular sauna sessions, you should drink plenty of water (or sports drink) before, during, and after using a sauna. Try to drink 1/2 cup of water four times an hour. Do not drink alcohol before using a sauna. People who have conditions such as multiple sclerosis, or those with pacemakers, cochlear implants, diabetes, or silicone breast implants should ask a doctor before using an infrared or traditional sauna.
People who take medicine by transdermal patch should ask their doctor before using an infrared sauna. Not only could the adhesive come off in the heat, the body’s uptake of the medication could be affected. Diabetics should monitor their blood sugar closely before and after using a sauna, and note any particularly high or low readings. If you discover that your blood sugar is elevated or too low after using an infrared sauna, and you do not know any other reason for the reading, you should definitely contact your doctor or diabetes educator to discuss it.
In healthy people, saunas do not cause heart problems. There are preliminary studies that suggest that sauna use can help lower high blood pressure. Short infrared sauna sessions in people with congestive heart failure may be beneficial, and there are studies trying to determine whether this is so.
One interesting effect of saunas (infrared and otherwise) is that there have been cases where past drug use is “reactivated.” Some drugs, such as LSD, are stored in fatty tissue and may be drawn into the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body in a infrared sauna. It is not a problem for most people, but there have been reports of past LSD users having hallucinations from the drug residue getting back into their bloodstream during a sauna session.
Infrared saunas are for the most part safe, and they make many people feel good. Using an infrared sauna safely mostly is a matter of common sense. Avoiding alcohol use beforehand, limiting the time you remain in a sauna, and checking with your doctor if you have underlying health problems will help you avoid any dangers posed by the infrared rays and heat. And when it is used sensibly, infrared sauna therapy can be a great stress reliever.
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