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Facts and Fables about Sauna
Author(s) -
KAUPPINEN K.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb51764.x
Subject(s) - citation , annals , library science , history , classics , computer science
In summary, sauna baths are well tolerated and pose no risk to healthy people from infancy to old age, including healthy women in their uncomplicated pregnancy. The normal sauna bath, with moderate cool-off phases, increases the cardiac work load about as much as a brisk walk. It has been well established that the sauna bath, no matter what the cool-off type, does not pose any circulatory risk to healthy people. Cardiovascular patients with essential hypertension, coronary heart disease or past myocardial infarction, who are stable and relatively asymptomatic in their everyday life may also take sauna baths without undue risk. As a rule of thumb, if a person can walk into a sauna, he or she can walk out of it. Misuse and abuse of the sauna are another matter.