CAN YOU CATCH A COLD FROM USING THE SAUNA?

KLAFS FAQ FOR WELL-BEING

Cooling down thoroughly after using the sauna brings your core body temperature back down from high to normal, so it’s unlikely that you would catch cold from the process. However, to make sure you definitely don’t catch a cold from using the sauna, you should make sure you follow the golden rules of cooling down properly. If you’re cooling down in the fresh air, don’t stay outside until you begin to shiver, and then make it even worse by showering off with cold water. You want to cool down – not catch hypothermia. The other extreme is re-entering the sauna cabin before you’ve cooled down thoroughly, and then once again fail to cool down after the second round. This completely disrupts your body’s regulatory system. If you go back to business as normal after a sauna without cooling down properly first, you’ll find you’re more susceptible than ever to the cold. Your entire body (expanded blood vessels) is crying out to cool down. Draughts or other cold stimuli will make you feel cold only in places – and you’ll be more likely to catch a cold. Post-sauna sweating with a hot pack is not a good idea either; it only serves to confuse the body. Any parts of the body not covered by the hot pack (head, neck) emit more heat, and are thus more susceptible to draughts. So it’s important to follow a clear, strong heat stimulus with a clear, strong cold stimulus in order for the thermostat inside your body to react properly.