After writing a post about the top benefits of a sauna (which you can read HERE), we received many questions and comments. One of the main questions we received was, “Will a sauna help a cold?”. There is no exact answer to this question, but there is a lot of evidence that points in a certain direction. In this article, we’ll analyze this question and decipher whether or not saunas help.
Will A Sauna Help A Cold?
So does using a sauna actually help a cold. We know that saunas can help with treating asthma, arthritis, and your cardiovascular system, but what about colds?
The truth is that saunas boost your immune system. This is because the extreme heat that saunas produce causes your body to produce white blood cells more rapidly. These white blood cells then protect your body from infectious diseases and viruses. Thus boosting your immune system. Since most people take an average sauna of fewer than 30 minutes, the heat that you endure doesn’t negatively affect your body.
Other evidence that saunas help with cold is that they fight against congestion. The steam and extreme temperatures clear up unwanted congestion and make the experience of being sick much easier to cope with. This then relieves most unwanted negative feelings that a cold causes.
Since this is so, we believe taking saunas to prevent colds is a must-do. With a healthy diet, exercise, and regular sauna bathes you can boost your immune system tremendously. We also recommend using them while you’re actually sick. Just make sure that you don’t over push your body and drink plenty of water.
To back up these claims we have linked to an Austrian research study. In this study, researchers split 50 adults into two groups and analyzed them for six months. One group was instructed to sauna bath regularly and the other was instructed to do nothing. By the end of the study, the group that sauna bathed regularly contracted much fewer colds than the group that didn’t sauna bathe. Thus indicating that saunas do possibly help with fighting colds. To find the full study click HERE.
In conclusion, there is a lot of evidence that suggests saunas do help with colds. We personally use saunas to prevent and treat our colds. We advise you to do the same if you feel that they can help you as well. Just remember to drink plenty of water and never over push your body. Doing so will be counterproductive and can possibly harm you.
Other Resources:
* The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy
* Sauna Therapy for Detoxification and Healing
* The Sauna: A Complete Guide to the Construction, Use, and Benefits of the Finnish Bath
