Colin Cook
The US Army has come up with a vaccine for all coronaviruses. That means protection against all variants of Covid-19 and protection against the flu and even the common cold. Even beyond the implications for the pandemic, this is great news, because there is no cure for the common cold. The only thing you can do about a cold is to make yourself more comfortable until it’s done with you. To get comfortable, I recommend infrared sauna for a cold.
Sauna Even Prevents Colds
There’s evidence that sauna can even help prevent a cold. A 1990 report in Annals of Medicine found that regular sauna sessions substantially reduced the risk of colds in a clinical study of 50 patients (25 sauna users and 25 controls).
Why would regular sauna sessions cut down on colds? Your cold is caused by a coronavirus: one of about 200 of them. Sauna, particularly an infrared sauna, can strengthen your immune system. I think it does this by flushing toxins out of your system. With fewer toxins to distract it, your immune system can get on with the business of fighting viruses. This may be why some researchers believe sauna is also effective against Covid-19.
Fighting Stress Fights Colds
A second reason that sauna sessions cut down on colds is the relaxation effect. Researchers have known for some time about the connection between stress and susceptibility to colds. The connection was confirmed by a 2012 study, which found an association between production of cortisol (the “stress hormone”) and stressful events.
Relaxation reduces cortisol production. And most people relax in a sauna. It may be the most complete relaxation you can experience outside of float therapy.
The Army is going to begin human trials of its new vaccine in 2022. So we have to wait before it’s available to protect us. In the meantime, the best way to deal with a cold is to avoid it. The CDC’s advice for avoiding a cold is pretty much the same as its advice for avoiding Covid-19. 1) wash your hands often with soap and water, 2) avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands, and 3) stay away from sick people. To this I would add, sit in a sauna regularly.
Infrared Sauna for a Cold
And if you do succumb to a cold, then you can use the sauna to make yourself more comfortable while you have it. There is evidence that infrared sauna can help relieve cold symptoms. It will relax you, and the dry heat will likely dry up some of your congestion, at least temporarily.
I have run across some sources on the web that say the heat of a sauna can kill or inactivate a cold virus. I am frankly dubious about this claim. Viruses are usually inactivated at temperatures of 167 degrees or higher. The infrared sauna operates in a range of 100 to 150 degrees. Your body’s thermoregulation will keep your core temperature at around 99 degrees. On the other hand, even 99 degrees is higher than most viruses can easily tolerate. And there’s some satisfaction in making a virus as uncomfortable as it has made you :).
Book an infrared sauna session today.
