Key Takeaways
- Visiting a sauna while sick can be risky as it can worsen symptoms such as fever and cough.
- If you go to a sauna while you have symptoms, you may make others sick.
- There is no evidence that sauna bathing can treat cold symptoms.
When you start experiencing sniffles, it can be tempting to try anything to feel better quickly. But using a sauna to treat common cold symptoms is not recommended for several reasons, experts said.
Dr. John Mafi, an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told Verywell that there is no adequate research to suggest that saunas even help with common cold symptoms. “There isn’t a lot of strong evidence,” he explained.
Experts say visiting a sauna can also be risky if you have certain cold symptoms, such as fever or cough, or if you have certain health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, that make sauna bathing risky.
Additionally, visiting a sauna while you have a cold may put others at risk. “If you have a cold and go to a public sauna, you’re potentially going to make other people sick,” Mafi said.
If the disease is contagious, it's important to stay home as long as possible when sick, Dr. Neha Vyas, a family medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell. “If you are really sick, it is best not to go to the sauna,” she explained.
Are saunas good for colds?
There isn't much literature that can help doctors say for sure how any type of sauna (e.g. infrared, dry or steam) affects colds, Mafi said.
If you decide to visit a sauna regardless of whether you have a cold or not, you should first contact your health care provider if you have a chronic medical condition. Heart disease, asthma, low blood pressure and other health problems can make saunas dangerous for some people, Mafi said.
Experts say people should not visit saunas or other public places if they are sick with a contagious illness. However, some people with colds may benefit from certain environments at home, such as a sauna.
“You can create a home sauna by boiling water, then wrapping a towel over your head and inhaling the steam coming from the water. [not to expose yourself] In hot water,” Vyas said. “This is a way to create the same scenario, and the heat and steam can help open the nasal passages and sinuses.” This can temporarily reduce congestion.
It's possible to create a similar situation with a hot shower, but this will make you want to dry off quickly afterward. “The benefits of a hot shower may be soothing, but [for people with cold symptoms], once you take a shower, you get wet and cold,” Mafi explained. “I don’t have any evidence for this, but anecdotally, if you’re trying to recover from a cold, the sudden shock of cold air can set you back,” he explained.
If you are experiencing certain cold symptoms (especially fever or severe cough), you should avoid hot and steamy environments. These conditions can make the disease worse. If you are dehydrated, going into a sauna or creating a similar environment at home can also make the situation worse.
Other ways to relieve cold symptoms
Experts said there is no cure for colds and taking antibiotics can make the condition worse. Trying to “sweat out” a cold through a sauna or other means is also a bad idea. Doing so will not cure your condition and may leave you dangerously dehydrated.
“What works is rest, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep,” Mafi said. “The biggest mistake patients make is not resting their bodies enough and trying to take a break and then go back to their daily routine.” This usually makes symptoms worse, he explained.
The following methods may help you feel more comfortable or reduce the severity of some cold symptoms:
- Drink extra fluids
- Use a cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray for nasal congestion.
- Using Lozenges for Sore Throats
- Using Honey to Relieve a Cough
If your symptoms do not improve after a few days or you begin to develop new symptoms, it is important to see your health care provider to make sure you are not suffering from something other than the common cold, Mafi said.
What this means to you
There is no strong evidence that visiting a sauna can treat common cold symptoms. Going to a sauna when you are sick can be dangerous. This is because it can worsen cold symptoms such as fever and cough. Additionally, visiting a public sauna when you are sick can also affect people around you because you can spread the virus by sharing the space with others.