Sauna: sweating keeps blood pressure low
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.Those who take a sauna several times a week lower their risk of high blood pressure: the alternation of heat and cold trains the blood vessels - with an enormous effect.
The Finns are world champions in sauna use: 99 percent of the population sit in the sweat room at least once a week, most of them even more often. In Finland, sweating is practically a panacea: It is supposed to strengthen the immune system and thus protect against various diseases. Researchers working with Jari Laukkanen from the University of Eastern Finland have shown that the heart and circulation also benefit.
They accompanied around 1,600 middle-aged Finns over an average of 25 years. None of them initially suffered from high blood pressure. Over the course of the study, 15 percent of them developed high blood pressure.
Sweating works
The most avid sauna-goers among the participants were spared this much more often: of those who visited the sweat rooms four to seven times a week, only half as many developed high blood pressure during the study period as of those who only took a sweat cure once a week. Those who took a sauna two to three times a week reduced their risk of high blood pressure by as much as 24 percent.
The researchers did not make a comparison with participants who did not take a sauna at all - because in Finland you can hardly find anyone who does not go to the sauna regularly.
Going to the sauna can have a beneficial effect on blood pressure through various mechanisms. The body temperature rises by up to two degrees during a visit to the sauna. This causes the blood vessels to widen. When they cool down suddenly, they pull together again.
Training for the blood vessels
Regular visits to the sauna improve endothelial function. This is the cell layer that lines the veins on the inside. Among other things, it is responsible for controlling the widening and narrowing of the vessels and determining the permeability of the blood vessels. The endotherm plays a central role in regulating blood pressure.
The mental influence of going to the sauna can also have a positive effect on blood pressure: taking a sauna is relaxing.
Who is the sauna risky for?
As healthy as saunas are, some patients do not recommend them. This applies to people whose heart is beating, for example after a heart attack, with severe high blood pressure or tight heart (angina pectoris). Caution is also advised with kidney diseases, but also with infections such as colds and flu, the circulatory stress from the heat can be too great.
In people with acute asthma, on the other hand, cold shock can cause the bronchi to contract suddenly, causing a severe attack. If you suffer from a pre-existing condition, you should therefore discuss with your doctor whether a visit to the sauna is advisable.
