Regular sweating cures are highly recommended to protect against infections. But does a sauna also make sense if you have a cold? And if it has already hit you: can you sweat out the cold or does it hurt a lot more?
- © Getty Images / boggy22
Many sauna fans regularly relax in the hot sweat bath – and are rewarded with good defenses. Whether a visit to the sauna makes sense if you have a cold, on the other hand, depends on how far it has progressed and how severe the symptoms are. But also about how regularly you go to the sauna.
Article content at a glance:
Ten tips for the sauna
In the sauna when a cold is approaching?
A slight scratchy throat and a runny nose are often the first signs of a looming cold. People who do not go to the sauna regularly should now do without it. Because the immune system is already busy fighting the pathogens and the heat places a high burden on the cardiovascular system. In addition, pathogens can multiply faster in the hot air and the infection can become all the more severe. Visiting the sauna and thus inhaling dry, hot air to relieve symptoms such as sore throats is pointless, according to researchers at the Berlin Charité.
In Finland, where sauna bathing was invented, many people swear by the sauna as a first aid measure when a cold starts. But even experienced sauna-goers should be very careful with an impending cold and leave the heat cabin immediately if they feel uncomfortable. In addition, average temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and 65 degrees Celsius are recommended.
Sauna for advanced colds – better not!
Experts agree: if the cold has already broken out or if the temperature is too high, you should not go to the sauna. The rapid change between heat and cold places additional stress on the body and hinders the recovery process. In the worst case, it can lead to a breakdown of the circulatory system. Even experienced sauna-goers should avoid the sauna during the high phase of a cold. In principle, the sauna is prohibited in the event of a fever or any infectious disease.
Sauna with a cold should not only be taboo for the sake of your own health, but also so as not to infect others. Even if cold viruses cannot survive long at very high temperatures, the showers, changing rooms and vestibules are pleasantly warm and humid – the ideal breeding ground for pathogens to multiply.
A cold subsiding: when can you go back to the sauna?
Some symptoms like cough are often quite persistent and the body is still weak after the illness. It is advisable to wait until the cold has completely subsided.
In general, it makes sense not to use the sauna at too high temperatures after a cold. Instead of the hot Finnish sauna, which is around 80 to 100 degrees Celsius, a visit to the not-so-warm organic sauna or a steam sauna is usually more pleasant and gentle on the circulation. Nevertheless, you should take it slowly and, even when the cold is subsiding, only take a sweat bath if you feel really comfortable with it.
Prevent colds by taking a regular sauna
The extreme temperature change between a hot sauna session and later cooling down stimulates the blood vessels in the skin and especially in the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. If these are well supplied with blood, they can defend themselves much better against viruses.
So taking a sauna can help prevent colds. However, the immune-strengthening effect does not occur with a single visit to the sauna. The positive effect only shows up after about eight to twelve weeks. In order to achieve a lasting strengthening of the immune system, one should regularly go to the sauna at least once or twice a week.
Tips for going to the sauna
In order for the sauna to develop its immune-strengthening effect, you should definitely pay attention to a few points:
- The sauna should be dry and hot. Steam bathing is pleasant, but not as effective for the immune system.
- A sauna session should not last longer than 12 to 15 minutes.
- There should always be a short cooling off after the sauna session.
- A flood shower or a shower with the hose is better than a longer stay in cold water, otherwise you will cool down too much.
- You should only take a sauna if you feel good.
Preventing a cold: tips for a strong defense
