Bath water temperature is part of wellness routines that take you to both ends of the temperature scale, from sweating it out in a sauna to shivering in an ice-cold bath. But how does your heart respond to these extremes, especially when you move straight from one to the other?
“Sudden changes in temperature make blood vessels and the cardiovascular system respond quickly. This means your heart and blood vessels have to adjust to the temperature change. How safe is this physiological change for your wellbeing? Many wellness routines include taking a cold plunge in ice-filled water. But this causes the blood vessels to adjust. How? This can lead to increased blood pressure and put stress on the heart. In initial moments, breathing may be quickened and hard to control. Is it safe? To this query, the cardiologist expressed concern that it is safe only when a person is healthy, and they can actually tolerate short and controlled exposure. Even for them, though, prolonged immersion or exposure to extreme cold can put stress on the cardiovascular system. Who can use a sauna, and how should they approach it? “In the case of most healthy adults, moderate sauna use can be incorporated into an exercise routine, but it should not be viewed as an alternative to working out, healthy eating, sleeping adequately, or treating diseases (hypertension, etc.). Ensuring proper hydration is essential in the case of longer sauna sessions,” the cardiologist explained.
“For the heart, these extreme water temperatures are not passive,” he alerted. Dr Singhania said, “Cold water leads to constriction of blood vessels.
