How Sauna Use Can Help Reduce Inflammation in the Body
Posted on 18 October 2024
Cabin saunas are well renowned for numerous health benefits, all of which are attributed to heat exposure. This is what has made it an increasingly popular health and fitness tool over the years. It does not only help with muscle recovery and heart health, but it can also help with inflammation. Inflammation is a natural immune response meant to protect our bodies. However, chronic inflammation or more serious injuries can be a bit more problematic. Sauna use is excellent for treating inflammation and chronic inflammatory diseases. Increased blood flow, heart rate, and cytokines all contribute to this. At SaunaFin, we offer customizable home sauna kits to ensure that you can care for your injuries or even chronic diseases. Contact us today for a quote!
Understanding Inflammation
Inflammation is your immune system’s response when you are injured or suffering from an infection. This is a very normal process that helps the body heal and is normally characterized by swelling, pain, and stiffness. There are two main types of inflammation that one can experience:
- Acute Inflammation: This occurs when your body is responding to an illness or injury that has just occurred. If you have just cut yourself or sprained an ankle, inflammation will occur so your body can heal. This inflammatory response is usually short-lived and lasts a few days, depending on the injury.
- Chronic Inflammation: Chronic inflammation is when your body continually triggers the inflammatory response without any injury. Typically, inflammatory cells promote healing, but in this case, they can be harmful. Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis are characterized by this.
Common Inflammatory Diseases
- Arthritis: A chronic condition that causes inflammation in the joints. This condition is often characterized by swelling, stiffness, and pain at the joints.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Includes conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, leading to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss.
- Asthma: A chronic respiratory condition where the airways become inflamed. This can make it difficult to breathe and cause wheezing and coughing.
- Autoimmune Diseases: Conditions such as lupus or multiple sclerosis involve the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissues, leading to chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammatory conditions can be dangerous to live with because, over time, inflammatory cells can damage the tissue of your existing organs. Chronic inflammation has also been linked to other diseases like certain cancers and mental health issues.
How Saunas Impact the Body
When you enter a sauna, you are instantly greeted with extreme heat, and these high temperatures cause your body to have a variety of responses, some of which are attributed to reducing inflammation.
- Increased Heart Rate: The high temperatures in a sauna can cause your heart rate to increase dramatically, almost as if you were taking part in a cardiovascular exercise.
- Vasodilation and Blood Flow: When using a sauna, your blood vessels will dilate in a process called vasodilation. This allows more blood to flow freely through your veins, thus increasing blood flow throughout the body as well.
- Cytokines: High temperatures are known to trigger increased cytokines. Cytokines are a protein that helps regulate inflammation in the body.
Cabin Sauna Use and Inflammation
Regular sauna use has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers in those who suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases or physical injury. The high heat from the sauna promotes an increase in oxygen-rich blood flow, which promotes healing in the injured or affected area and effectively reduces swelling. Additionally, heat shock proteins such as cytokines are released while using the sauna. These proteins can help reduce inflammation significantly by signaling the immune system to do so.
Sauna use is especially beneficial to those who have inflammatory diseases, as it can help those with arthritis or asthma effectively manage their symptoms, improving the quality of their life.
Reduce Inflammation with a Home Sauna Kit
Overall, regular sauna use is an effective way to reduce inflammation in the body. Being exposed to heat for a period of time can help increase blood flow, cytokines, and vasodilation, all of which contribute to healing and reducing inflammation markers. Sitting in a cabin sauna on a daily basis can be especially beneficial to those who suffer from inflammatory diseases, as it can help increase their day-to-day comfort. Having a sauna in the comfort of your home is a great way to start your healing journey. Contact SauanFin today to learn more about customizing a home sauna kit.