An indoor sauna at home is the perfect escape from a busy and tiring outside world. It offers a lot of health and stress-relief benefits, like detoxification, relaxation, sleep improvement, and more. However, there are also some safety risks you have to worry about.
In this article, we’ll discuss the potential dangers you may encounter with the improper use of your indoor sauna. At the same time, we’ll also list down all the safety measures you should take when using one. This way, you’d fully understand what you should avoid and what you should do to enjoy the sauna to the fullest.
Potential Dangers of Using a Home Indoor Sauna
The use of an indoor sauna is completely safe if it’s done properly and by following the right precautions. However, consecutive and improper use of one can lead to the following risks:
- Dehydration: A sauna session results in profuse sweating, which means your body is losing fluids. If you don’t get adequate fluid intake at the right time, you’re completely going to get dehydrated. Moreover, if you have kidney disease, you’re at a higher risk of dehydration.
- Skin Irritation: Excessive sweating and high temperature can cause skin irritation in some people, especially those with sensitive skin and open wounds.
- Burns: Since everything inside the sauna can become extremely hot, users can get burns when they come in direct contact with the heated surfaces.
- Heat-related Illness: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures, like inside the sauna, can increase the risks of heatstroke or heat exhaustion. Some may even feel lightheaded and dizzy, which can lead to fainting.
Safety Guidelines and Precautions in Using Indoor Saunas
The best way to avoid any potential danger when using a sauna is to follow the proper safety tips and regulations, which include:
- Set and Follow a Time Limit
You should never stay inside the sauna for too long. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to some serious health risks like dehydration, heat exhaustion, and many more. Keep in mind that the duration the body can tolerate heat varies from person to person. If you’re sensitive to heat, always start off with a short session.
The common time limit is 15-20 minutes for most users but here are three time limit rules you should follow:
- If you’re completely new to saunas, start with 5-10 minutes of sessions first.
- Depending on your heat tolerance level, you can gradually increase the duration up to 20-30 minutes.
- Never spend more than 30 minutes in the sauna.
- Keep Yourself Hydrated
The body sweats to regulate the body temperature so it’s normal to sweat a lot while using an indoor sauna. But remember, the more you sweat, the more dehydrated you become. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain a balance between sweating and staying hydrated.
Drink water before and after using the sauna. You can drink two to four glasses of water before going inside to avoid dehydration in the first few minutes. You can also bring drinking water inside so you can drink regularly during the session. After using, rehydrate again. Aside from water, you can also drink electrolyte-infused beverages to replenish lost electrolytes during the session.
At the same time, never drink any alcoholic or caffeinated beverages before and during the sauna session. These drinks can cause more dehydration. Also, alcohol can cause accidents inside the sauna, which you want to avoid.
- Bring and Use a Towel
Always use a clean towel to safeguard yourself from the heat, sweat, and germs inside the sauna. Aside from helping you stay clean and safe, the towel would also protect the wooden benches from body oils that can stain or discolor the wood.
Here’s a quick guide on how to use your towel in the sauna properly:
- Aside from the towel you’ll wear around your body, bring two extra towels – one you can sit on and one for wiping off your sweat.
- Place a towel over the bench before you sit down.
- As you sweat, use the other towel to wipe it off from your body.
- After every session, don’t forget to dry yourself thoroughly and bring the towel you sat on.
- Ensure Adequate Ventilation
Aside from the indoor sauna being inside the house, adequate ventilation is also very important for a safe and comfortable sauna experience. Without proper ventilation, carbon monoxide can easily build up to potentially harmful levels, which can make the sauna environment uncomfortable.
Ultimately, the right ventilation systems and methods will depend on the type of sauna you have – steam or infrared. The best thing to do is to consult the sauna’s manual or speak to the installer to make sure that its ventilation is operating properly.
- No Jewelry, Creams, and Lotions
Most jewelry has high heat conductivity, which means they heat up fast, and can potentially cause skin burns. If you’re wearing any jewelry, take it off before entering the sauna, and don’t bring it inside. Check for earrings, watches, necklaces, or rings.
Additionally, it’s best to not wear any creams or lotions. They don’t usually run with sweat and can make an oily mess on the body. With such a mess, your pores can get clogged up, withholding your skin from sweating properly. Moreover, they can make everything slippery and can cause you to slip and fall.
- Always Rest After a Sauna Session
Rest and relax for at least ten minutes after going out of the sauna. Don’t jump straight to another task or activity right after. You have to allow your body to recuperate by going to a cool place where you can lie down or sit. This will help your body to cool down and your heart rate slows down.
Once you’ve rested enough, you can follow up with a shower to clean everything off and completely cool down your body temperature.
- Listen to Your Body
The body will let us know when the conditions it’s in are unfavorable. First off, before going into the sauna, check your health. Remember, the heat inside will make your heart work harder and if you have any current cardiovascular problems, going in may cause serious health problems. At the same time, if you’re sick, it’s best to stay out of the sauna and recover first before using it.
Additionally, make sure to monitor your body when using the sauna. If you ever start feeling any of the following, leave the sauna immediately:
- Lightheadedness
- Chest tightness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Skin irritation
- Difficulty breathing
Remember that the sauna should be a relaxing and pleasant environment. It shouldn’t tax your body to extremes.
Conclusion
Indoor saunas are the best places to relax after a tiring day. However, since it uses high temperatures to provide health and stress-relief benefits, you need to be careful when using it as well. There are potential dangers you should avoid, such as skin irritation, dehydration, burns, etc. To avoid these risks, make sure to follow the right safety guidelines and precautions.
On the other hand, if you’re still looking for more options for your home sauna, you can check out our massive sauna collection. We have different types and styles of sauna that you can match to your needs and home design!
