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Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 10:43 pm
Posts: 7925
Location: New Zealand
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Thanks Hena! I had a quick look at the peer reviewed research literature, which proved to be pretty inconclusive... here is the latest meta-analysis (Finnish unsurprisingly...  ).
Int J Circumpolar Health. 2006 Jun;65(3):195-205. Links
Health effects and risks of sauna bathing.Kukkonen-Harjula K, Kauppinen K.
UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland. katriina.kukkonen-harjula@uta.fi
OBJECTIVES: To study physiological, therapeutic and adverse effects of sauna bathing with special reference to chronic diseases, medication and special situations (pregnancy, children). STUDY DESIGN: A literature review. METHODS: Experiments of sauna bathing were accepted if they were conducted in a heated room with sufficient heat (80 to 90 degrees C), comfortable air humidity and adequate ventilation. The sauna exposure for five to 20 minutes was usually repeated one to three times. The experiments were either acute (one day), or conducted over a longer period (several months). RESULTS: The research data retrieved were most often based on uncontrolled research designs with subjects accustomed to bathing since childhood. Sauna was well tolerated and posed no health risks to healthy people from childhood to old age. Baths did not appear to be particularly risky to patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure, when they were medicated and in a stable condition. Excepting toxemia cases, no adverse effects of bathing during pregnancy were found, and baths were not teratogenic. In musculoskeletal disorders, baths may relieve pain. Medication in general was of no concern during a bath, apart from antihypertensive medication, which may predispose to orthostatic hypotension after bathing. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed with sound experimental design, and with subjects not accustomed to sauna, before sauna bathing can routinely be used as a non-pharmacological treatment regimen in certain medical disorders to relieve symptoms and improve wellness.
PMID: 16871826 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
And an earlier one (which notes that atopic dermatitus can be aggravated, which I get intermittently unfortunately).
1: Am J Med. 2001 Feb 1;110(2):118-26. Links
Benefits and risks of sauna bathing.Hannuksela ML, Ellahham S.
Department of Internal Medicine and Biocenter Oulu (MLH), University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Although sauna bathing causes various acute, transient cardiovascular and hormonal changes, it is well tolerated by most healthy adults and children. Sauna bathing does not influence fertility and is safe during the uncomplicated pregnancies of healthy women. Some studies have suggested that long-term sauna bathing may help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension and improve the left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with chronic congestive heart failure, but additional data are needed to confirm these findings. The transient improvements in pulmonary function that occur in the sauna may provide some relief to patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis. Sauna bathing may also alleviate pain and improve joint mobility in patients with rheumatic disease. Although sauna bathing does not cause drying of the skin-and may even benefit patients with psoriasis-sweating may increase itching in patients with atopic dermatitis. Contraindications to sauna bathing include unstable angina pectoris, recent myocardial infarction, and severe aortic stenosis. Sauna bathing is safe, however, for most people with coronary heart disease with stable angina pectoris or old myocardial infarction. Very few acute myocardial infarctions and sudden deaths occur in saunas, but alcohol consumption during sauna bathing increases the risk of hypotension, arrhythmia, and sudden death, and should be avoided.
PMID: 11165553 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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