It’s the end of the day, and you can’t wait to relax in your home sauna. Oh, the joy of having your own personal wellness oasis! What you might not realize is that saunas aren’t just amazing health tools for easing stress and chronic pain. In addition to relaxation, infrared provides benefits beyond muscle strain and back aches. Your sauna can actually help with recovery from more serious chronic conditions. For instance, let’s learn how infrared can help with COPD.
What is COPD?
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, is one of the most common and serious diseases in the U.S. and beyond. According to the World Health Organization, it’s the third leading cause of death worldwide. That’s significant! And while it does affect the lungs, it’s not entirely considered a smoker’s ailment—30% of COPD sufferers don’t smoke. Many people develop it as a result of exposure to poor air quality and other environmental hazards, or they have a genetic disposition for the disease.
The symptoms of COPD include difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, and phlegm production. It’s remarkably similar to asthma in its symptoms but often progresses to becoming a daily issue rather than an occasional flare-up. Many people with COPD are diagnosed with emphysema or chronic bronchitis, and medical organizations have deemed it uncurable.
However, it is preventable and treatable. Here’s how infrared comes into play.
Inflammation and Infrared
One of the key benefits of infrared is that the deeply penetrating heat via far-infrared increases blood circulation. That in turn increases the oxygen delivered to muscles. The resulting improved circulation helps flush out edema, trapped fluid in tissues that causes swelling and inflammation. This works with our airways as well.
Saunas are also useful in clearing our system of toxins. Studies indicate that infrared therapy provides a purification process, particularly where environmental chemicals and pollutants play a part. This is directly tied to COPD and other chronic issues.
With COPD it all boils down to lung function and airways, and while one medical report focused on patients with allergic issues, it ultimately proved that sauna sessions helped improved breathing after just six weeks of treatment. This is promising news and points to infrared as a valuable resource for expanding lung capacity and reducing inflammation.
Looking Forward
While there are products that can help reduce the chances of developing COPD, such as saunas, air filters, and face masks, it’s important to avoid exposure to smoke, pollutants, and other chemicals to begin with.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is putting measures into place to promote cleaner households and reduce or eliminate tobacco use nationally. As studies are released, we are learning more each day about the tragic effects of harmful substances, some of which we can’t even see and some of which might be hard to avoid.
Health Mate offers a full line of infrared saunas that can be part of daily treatment in lessening the effects of chronic health issues, such as COPD. We are here to offer tips, educate on benefits and provide financing options to make owning a personal home sauna more attainable. Contact our sauna specialists for details!