Allergies
Visiting the sauna can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with allergies. The humidity of the steam rooms loosens mucus. Saunas also increase sympathetic activity, peak nasal inspiratory flow, and lung function.
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Heat is good for allergies in many different forms: radiant heating systems will heat up your home without spreading irritants; heated mattresses reduce dust mites; and heated compresses loosen mucus.
Infrared Can Help with Allergies
A study done by the Department of Biomedical Engineering involved 31 patients with allergies. The patients received infrared light treatmentevery morning for seven days. Patients recorded their symptoms in a diary and rated their symptoms on a four point scale, according to severity.
Patients reported improvements in sneezing, nasal stuffiness, eye and nasal itching during the period of therapy. Additionally, no obvious adverse effects were reported or observed during treatment and follow-up with the patients.
Reduced Nasal Hyperacitivity
In allergy suffers, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) favored hyper-activity when triggered by allergy stimulants causing the variety of symptoms of itchy, watery eyes, congestion and more.
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After six weeks of infrared sauna treatment, medical investigators found there were significant changes in heart rate variability which points to a positive change in ANS for treatment of allergic rhinitis. The overactive element of the ANS was lower while the low-frequency inhibit component was elevated.
Improved Immune System to Allergens
After several weeks of regular infrared sauna bathing, the body will have enough time to rid itself of harmful heavy metals and chemicals so that when the individual is exposed to allergens, the symptoms of the immune system at work will likely not be present.