Is Infrared Sauna Heart Disease Helpful?

The infrared sauna cabin was invented by the famous Japanese doctor Tadashi Ishikawa. It gained popularity in the West more than 10 years ago.

They are used both in medical institutions, fitness centers, beauty salons, and at home. An infrared sauna for heart disease is very much effective.

So, here in this article let’s know about infrared sauna heart disease.

What Is An Infrared Sauna?

This is a special compact device, the interior of which is separated by environmentally friendly wood, and ceramic emitters are mounted inside the walls and benches.

The principle of operation of such a cabin is based on the use of infrared radiation. In active mode, the emitter emits safe waves that can penetrate deep into the body, ensuring it’s uniform slow heating.

In conditions of maximum warming up, increased sweating occurs, blood flow improves, and detoxification of the body.

The main difference between a cabin and a sauna bathing is the temperature regime. In the first case, the mark of 55 degrees is not exceeded, in the second case, it can reach 110 degrees.

Only 20% of the generated energy is directed to warming up the air, and up to 85% in ordinary steam rooms.

Infrared Sauna – Features Of The Procedure

The procedure in the repeated thermal therapy is different from the traditional sauna bathing. A normal wellness session should be continuous and last about half an hour.

The ideal posture in the infrared cabin is sitting with legs down, back straight, and arms stretched along the torso.

Despite the deep warming up, the body does not perceive these conditions as overheating, therefore, after a session in infrared cabins, contrasting water procedures should not be taken. It is enough to limit yourself to a warm shower to wash off the sweat.

To compensate for the loss of moisture, after the session you need to drink tea (preferably green) or mineral water.

In addition to providing a deeper warming and increased perspiration, an infrared sauna has a number of other advantages compared to a traditional sauna and steam bath:

Since the air in it heats up less (the optimum temperature in the infrared cabin is 45-55 degrees, in the Finnish sauna – 90-110 degrees), and there is no vaporization, it is easier to tolerate, and people in it are in more comfortable conditions, the possibility of burns is excluded.

Repeated sauna treatment allows even the elderly and children, those suffering from cardiovascular diseases, and those who feel discomfort due to the heat, to fully receive the therapeutic effect of the bath.

The infrared cabin saves a lot of time. It has a short warm-up period compared to a regular sauna – 10-15 minutes. If a visit to an ordinary bath implies a rather long bath procedure (2-3 hours), then to obtain a healing effect, it is enough to spend half an hour in the infrared radiation cabin.

After taking an infrared thermal treatment, you will not experience a feeling of deep relaxation and drowsiness as after a regular sauna. On the contrary, you will have a feeling of joy, energy, and good performance.

In addition, due to the lower temperature in the infrared cabin, you will not leave steamed and with reddened skin, as after a regular bath, you will be able to immediately start doing your current business.

That is, the infrared procedure can be taken even in the morning before work, while the bath procedure, which involves several visits to the steam room and rests in the dressing room, requires a significant investment of time.

Therefore, they usually go to a traditional bath or sauna once a week, and you can visit the infrared cabin at least every day (of course, you should focus on your well-being).


Is An Infrared Sauna Good For Your Heart Disease?

Exposure to heat can be both beneficial and detrimental for people with various diseases of cardiovascular system.

At the same time, today some studies confirm the beneficial effect on the vessels even in the Finnish bath, the air temperature in which is much higher than in infrared.

Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland claim that 30 minutes in the steam room improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Since repeated thermal therapy has the same effect, but it is also much easier for patients to tolerate, it can also be recommended as a way to prevent heart disease.

The Science Behind Infrared Sauna For Heart Disease

Heat causes perspiration. To cool the body, the heart activates its work. The pulse rate increases and the diastolic pressure falls. Improves blood circulation, including capillaries and peripheral areas.

The body is affected by an effect comparable to physical activity of medium intensity: walking, and physical exercises.

People who take morning or evening walks or jogs do not so much train muscles as they strengthen the cardiovascular system. The same load on it is given by regular sessions in the infrared cabin.

The infrared cabin has been added to the number of fighters against cardiovascular diseases recently. When treatment with infrared rays was just starting, fatal cardiovascular disease, just in case, was among the contraindications.

With the use of an infrared sauna and the accumulation of observations, it turned out that it did not harm the specified “risk group” at all. The maximum heating in the cabin does not exceed 60°C, which is much lower than the temperature in a Finnish sauna.

What Ailments Of The Cardiovascular System Can Be Treated With An Infrared Sauna?

Patients with chronic heart and who are concerned about hypertension (high blood pressure) or neurocirculatory dystonia (low blood pressure) receive a therapeutic effect from staying in the cabin.

Headaches, irritability, and sleep disturbances recede after several sessions. After all, infrared rays regulate pressure: increased – reduce, and reduced – increase.

In fatal coronary heart disease, the load felt by patients is sparing. The blood flow increases slightly, but this is enough to improve metabolic processes in the heart muscle.

To consolidate the results of treatment, it is necessary to take supporting infrared baths at least twice a week for a long time. If you add moderate physical activity (walking or swimming) and massage to infra-baths, the healing effect will be fixed for a long time.


Benefits Of Infrared Sauna For Heart Disease

Infrared saunas are recommended for the prevention of heart disease, but people with existing problems need to be very careful about such procedures. See below the benefits of an infrared sauna for heart disease.

Reduce Blood Pressure

In our country, hypertension has covered 35% of the population, in numbers, it is about 39 million. Of these, only 20% are actively treated, using drugs that reduce pressure. Treatment with pills is not very effective. As a result, myocardial infarction “mows down” the ranks of patients at a terrifying speed.

After the sauna heat, it is optimal if the body is exposed to a strong cold stimulus (e.g. cold shower, bucket), because the contrast between “hot and cold” has a training effect on the vessels: the sudden cold pulls them blood vessels close together again, blood pressure rises and adrenaline invigorates the entire body.

You can train your body with regular sauna sessions just like you would a muscle, so that there are positive effects and, for example, a tendency towards high blood pressure is alleviated or lowered in the long term. Feel for yourself why the sauna is so healthy!

Infrared Sauna Helps To Strengthen Blood Vessels

Infrared sauna therapy helps to strengthen blood vessels And stimulation of blood circulation helps to get rid of hypertension, regulates cerebral circulation, activates the work of brain cells, and contributes to a partial improvement in short-term memory.

Improve Blood Circulation

Also, the release of sweat is accompanied by a significant loss of calories during exercise. With sweat, fat is released, binding and removing heavy metals and toxins with it.

Scientific studies have determined that, compared with a conventional sauna, infrared sauna therapy doubles perspiration, triples the number of toxic substances removed, and increases the beneficial effect on the body up to six times.

That is why infrared sauna therapy procedures are recommended for cleansing the body, in the fight against cellulite, and also as an addition to fitness programs and general strengthening procedures.

Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease

When you are at rest, your heart pumps around 6 liters of blood per minute into the circulatory system at 60 – 70 beats. When the sauna temperatures are higher, the blood vessels dilate and the heart, therefore, has to pump harder: during a sauna session with temperatures of 80 – 90° C, the cardiac output increases to almost 12 liters of blood per minute.

Cardiac function is therefore significantly increased in the sauna, the heart muscle is challenged and trained. This reduces the risk of heart disease.

The Body Is Cleansed, And Toxins Are Eliminated

Under the influence of infrared heat, the body’s defenses are activated, preventing reproduction and destroying infections and bacteria.

Along with these, there is an increase in the number of white blood cells – leukocytes, which are directly involved in the deactivation of pathogenic processes.

This factor makes it possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of oncological diseases, and also helps to accelerate the treatment of cancer patients.

Influence Of IR Rays On Cardiovascular Diseases

It has been proven that IR rays have a protective effect on cardiovascular diseases. Several weeks of sauna treatment markedly increased flow-driven endothelium-dependent brachial artery dilatation (P < 0.001), which was associated with increased cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance.

Because endothelial dysfunction is commonly seen in patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity, and smoking patients, sauna treatments likely have a therapeutic role for patients with coronary risk factors, suggesting that IR sauna treatments improve impaired vascular endothelial function.

Compelling evidence has shown that impaired vascular endothelial function is closely related to endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which catalyzes the amino acid L-arginine to L-citrulline and nitric oxide (NO) in the endothelium.

NO is an important vasodilator that prevents the progression of atherosclerosis by dilating blood vessels and inhibiting certain arterial disorders such as platelet aggregation and smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation.


Side Effects Of Infrared Sauna For Heart Disease

Compared to a Finnish sauna, infrared saunas have fewer contraindications. However, not everyone is allowed to use it. You should not resort to such procedures in the following cases:

  • Infectious diseases in the acute period.
  • The sauna is especially dangerous for fever.
  • Menses. Due to the fact that thermal procedures can increase bleeding.
  • Post-thrombophlebitic syndrome, since heat increases the risk of embolism.
  • The presence of any tumors, since improved blood circulation can accelerate their growth.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Tuberculosis.
  • Dehydration

Since infrared saunas produce more sweat than conventional saunas, the risk of dehydration increases during the session. This is especially dangerous for children and the elderly.

Dehydration can lead to fainting, the intoxication of the body, and other dangerous consequences. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the water balance – drink water or herbal decoctions before and after the repeated sauna treatment.

How To Use An Infrared Sauna For A Fluctuating Heart

Treatment should begin at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C;

(1) The time of the first sessions is limited to 15-20 minutes;

(2) Gradually the temperature increases to 50-55 ° C (no more);

(3) The time spent in the cabin is extended to 25-30 minutes (also, no more).

(4) This mode of gradual adaptation does not give an excessive load on the heart. Since the heating occurs gradually, the training effect of the procedure is realized. Patients who cannot tolerate heat and stuffiness do not feel any discomfort in an infrared sauna.


FAQs On Infrared Sauna Heart Disease

Following are the common questions on infrared sauna heart disease

Is Infrared Therapy Help In Your Cardiovascular System?

An infrared sauna can be your useful acquisition: a source of relaxation and health for yourself, your loved one, and for all children and households.

In addition, an infrared cabin can become a permanent source of income if you wish to open a salon and provide wellness services.

Having bought a sauna for yourself, you don’t have to guess where to put it: from 1 to 2 square meters are enough, which can be found even in a small apartment, and the corner sauna will fit in a nook, nothing else fits.

It is not necessary to put a sauna in the bathroom. She does not need a water supply and she herself does not “soar” out.

Can You Take A Steam Bath Every Day After A Tiring Day At Work?

The answer is obvious. And to come home and climb into the cabin for half an hour, warming a chilled body or tired muscles is a pleasure.


Conclusion

Strengthening the cardiovascular system is perhaps the most significant benefit of an infrared sauna. Regular visits to the infrared sauna will bring many benefits.

Even after the first session, a person will feel a surge of strength due to improved blood flow and tissue oxidation, as after exercise. This improves the elasticity of blood vessels.

When the body warms up, blood flows better to the skin, vasodilation occurs, and thermoregulation processes improve. Due to this, the swelling of the internal organs is reduced, and the correct metabolic processes are restored.