Comments on: An infrared sauna is a sauna, right? Well, not quite. http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/ Your infrared sauna online information Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:27:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Lowell Meier http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/#comment-50 Lowell Meier Fri, 03 Mar 2006 18:54:27 +0000 http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/#comment-50 Is there ANY benifits of a infrara red sauna for some one who is asthmatic? Will the infra red bother or harm a asthmatic person. Is there ANY benifits of a infrara red sauna for some one who is asthmatic? Will the infra red bother or harm a asthmatic person.

]]> By: Paul Mernon http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/#comment-51 Paul Mernon Sat, 04 Mar 2006 20:52:01 +0000 http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/#comment-51 To Lowell Meier: I'm not aware of any benefit of infrared sauna for asthmatics nor I read about any contraindications, but I'm not a doctor. I've found some studies which talk about positive effect of a sauna on asthmatic patients, however, they are about conventional saunas. Here are the links to studies I've found: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11165553&query_hl=10&itool=pubmed_docsum" rel="nofollow">Benefits and risks of sauna bathing</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=2281065&query_hl=10&itool=pubmed_docsum" rel="nofollow">The effect of the Finnish dry sauna on bronchial asthma in childhood</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=2531334&query_hl=10&itool=pubmed_docsum" rel="nofollow">Indications and successes of climate therapy of children</a> To Lowell Meier:

I’m not aware of any benefit of infrared sauna for asthmatics nor I read about any contraindications, but I’m not a doctor. I’ve found some studies which talk about positive effect of a sauna on asthmatic patients, however, they are about conventional saunas. Here are the links to studies I’ve found:

Benefits and risks of sauna bathing
The effect of the Finnish dry sauna on bronchial asthma in childhood
Indications and successes of climate therapy of children

]]> By: Klaus Fechner http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/#comment-6188 Klaus Fechner Sun, 04 Mar 2007 18:54:40 +0000 http://www.infraredsaunainfo.com/blog/2005/12/16/infrared-sauna-is-sauna-not-quite/#comment-6188 Just to clarify the term "steam sauna". The traditional Finnish sauna is a "dry" sauna with high air temperatures (80 °C and up) and relative humidity around 10-20%. If there was steam in the air (i.e. 100% relative humidity) it would be impossible to tolerate those temperatures for more than a few seconds. The body reacts in a variety of ways, including sweating. Sweating is initially invisible due to evaporation (which helps keep the body "cool", but eventually becomes so strong that one can see sweat coalescing on the skin (this is what most people think of when they talk about "sweating". The "steam" part comes in when one pours water over the heated rocks that are part of the oven. This raises the relative humidity of the sauna air briefly (for a minute or two) which helps trigger sweating due to the reduced ability to evaporate the sweat. Finnish saunas are built of wood (at least on the inside) which is needed to quickly remove the "steam" from the air after the humidity boost. Anything with higher humidity and lower air temperatures is not a sauna, but a "steam bath" of some sort. I am skeptical of the statement above "an infrared sauna ... heats you more deeply than steam sauna". What is this based on? Studies have been performed in the 1960s and 70s that showed increase in body core temperature from the normal 37 °C to around 38 °C after the typical recommended Finnish sauna run lasting for 8 - 12 minutes, typically repeated 3 times with intervening cooling off and resting periods. Elevated core temperature is mostly what gets you sweating. Depth of penetration of infrared radiation depends on a variety of factors including spectrum of wavelengths. I have no knowledge regarding the physiological effects of infrared in a whole body application. Regarding the potential benefit for asthma, I also don't have any direct knowledge, but the water used for the sauna "steam" boost is commonly enhanced with essential oils such as pine needle or eucalyptus oil, which then evaporates together with the water and is inhaled very effectively. I assume that there have been studies regarding that. Disclaimer: My parents owned and ran a successful Finnish sauna manufacturing business in Germany for over 40 years. I learned a lot about that since my childhood. We have one of their saunas in the back yard. Just to clarify the term “steam sauna”. The traditional Finnish sauna is a “dry” sauna with high air temperatures (80 °C and up) and relative humidity around 10-20%. If there was steam in the air (i.e. 100% relative humidity) it would be impossible to tolerate those temperatures for more than a few seconds. The body reacts in a variety of ways, including sweating. Sweating is initially invisible due to evaporation (which helps keep the body “cool”, but eventually becomes so strong that one can see sweat coalescing on the skin (this is what most people think of when they talk about “sweating”.

The “steam” part comes in when one pours water over the heated rocks that are part of the oven. This raises the relative humidity of the sauna air briefly (for a minute or two) which helps trigger sweating due to the reduced ability to evaporate the sweat. Finnish saunas are built of wood (at least on the inside) which is needed to quickly remove the “steam” from the air after the humidity boost.

Anything with higher humidity and lower air temperatures is not a sauna, but a “steam bath” of some sort.

I am skeptical of the statement above “an infrared sauna … heats you more deeply than steam sauna”. What is this based on?

Studies have been performed in the 1960s and 70s that showed increase in body core temperature from the normal 37 °C to around 38 °C after the typical recommended Finnish sauna run lasting for 8 - 12 minutes, typically repeated 3 times with intervening cooling off and resting periods. Elevated core temperature is mostly what gets you sweating. Depth of penetration of infrared radiation depends on a variety of factors including spectrum of wavelengths. I have no knowledge regarding the physiological effects of infrared in a whole body application.

Regarding the potential benefit for asthma, I also don’t have any direct knowledge, but the water used for the sauna “steam” boost is commonly enhanced with essential oils such as pine needle or eucalyptus oil, which then evaporates together with the water and is inhaled very effectively. I assume that there have been studies regarding that.

Disclaimer: My parents owned and ran a successful Finnish sauna manufacturing business in Germany for over 40 years. I learned a lot about that since my childhood. We have one of their saunas in the back yard.

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