Steam loosens mucus and phlegm. This can help you blow your nose better and clear congestion. It can be useful during allergy season or when you have a cough or cold. A
Steam Therapy
Take a steaming hot shower or hold your head over a steaming pot of water to help thin mucus and make it easier to expel. Warm steam opens and moisturizes stuffy breathing passages, and helps thin the mucus so you can cough it up and get phlegm out.
The heat from a steam room opens up the mucous membranes around the body, allowing deeper, easier breathing. The steam from a steam room can break up the congestion in the sinuses and lungs and, therefore, might help treat colds, unblock sinuses, and aid breathing. Learn about other ways to clear sinus congestion here.
Pregnant women, older adults, and anyone with a heart condition are generally discouraged from using steam rooms, as the treatment could adversely affect their health.
Relax, recover, refresh
Sauna-goers should leave enough time to cool down before warming up again. If you can, don't have a shower straight after the sauna. It's better for the body if you cool off in the fresh air first. Take slow deep breaths once outside, to fill up on oxygen.
Just a single session in the steam room could help your body to eliminate up to 30 per cent of its waste and toxins through perspiration. Although it is worth noting the more regularly you visit the steam room the better the results. Your immune system will benefit from regular steam room sessions too.
Steam adds warmth and moisture to the air, which may improve breathing and help loosen mucus inside the airways and lungs. Inhaling water vapor can provide immediate relief and help people breathe more easily. It may also help people with a sore or dry throat, or who have been exposed to environmental irritants.
The sauna/steam room should be used “2-3 times a week for no more than 10-20 minutes at a time,” Jay says. Some individuals like to opt for intervals. “You can do 15 to 20 minutes inside the room, take a 5 minute break outside the room, and then go back inside, repeating this for 3-4 cycles.”
Saunas, with their dry heat, are renowned for improving circulation, promoting detoxification through sweat, and inducing muscle relaxation. On the other hand, steam rooms excel in respiratory benefits, providing relief for conditions like asthma and sinus congestion due to the moist, steam-filled air.
A deep cough is less tiring and more effective in clearing mucus out of the lungs. Huff Coughing: Huff coughing, or huffing, is an alternative to deep coughing if you have trouble clearing your mucus. Take a breath that is slightly deeper than normal.
What drinks remove mucus from the body? Water is the best choice, but herbal teas, chicken soup, and clear broths are good too. You'll want to stay away from drinks that could dry you out, like coffee, caffeinated (black) tea, wine, and alcoholic beverages.
There are different estimates as to how many calories you can burn in a sauna, with some being as high as 300 calories in 30 minutes and others with estimates as low as 25 calories in the same time period. Let's be clear in saying that your body is burning calories all the time.
The recommended duration of time to spend in the steam room is between 10-15 minutes. Hydrate before, during and after using the steam room by drinking plenty of water. After exiting the steam room, it's important to shower off any sweat that may have built up.
The warm, humid air inside steam rooms reduces inflammation and opens up passageways to help you breathe easier. This encourages a more restful sleep that is both deeper and longer in duration. Steam rooms can also boost circulation, which may help to regulate hormones that are responsible for quality sleep.
Expert Insights on Steam Rooms and Lung Function
Respiratory therapists and pulmonologists agree that the moist heat of a steam room can aid in loosening phlegm, therefore assisting in the clearance of airways in individuals with chronic respiratory conditions such as bronchitis or sinusitis.
When you sit in a sauna, the heat causes your blood vessels to dilate. This dilation increases blood flow, which can help transport lymph throughout the body more effectively. Additionally, the sweating induced by the sauna can help flush toxins out of the body, potentially reducing the load on the lymphatic system.
But, if you're reading online about using an infrared sauna for liver detox, you're probably reading a quite misleading explanation of what is truly happening. A sauna doesn't detox the liver directly - instead, it helps detoxification processes become more optimal by removing toxins from the equation!
If you're someone who uses a steam room on a regular basis, i.e., either daily or three to four times a week, 15-20 minute sessions are perfect for you. In fact, this duration is considered optimum for most of the steam room advantages like detoxification, stress release, pain relief, and more.