temperature

Sauna and Steam Baths – what are different health benefits?

The use of a steam room or sauna is a health practice with numerous health benefits. Saunas and the steam rooms are the rooms designed for the treatments with the use of heated air, which is of a temperature that varies between 800 and 1000 degrees of Celsius.

Difference between a sauna and a steam room?

Sauna air is heated by hot, porous rocks that emit a long-lasting heat. Because the humidity in a sauna is low, saunas are usually made of softwoods. In a steam room, the water vapor carries the heat. The wall construction is typically acrylic, tile, marble, or other stone. Steam rooms are much cooler than saunas although they often feel warmer.

Steam Bath Benefits

A steam room is an enclosed room which is made warm and humid by use of a heater and steam.
- they have high moisture content.
- the condensed moisture relieves pressure in the sinuses and lungs, which helps to counteract conditions such as asthma and allergies.
- steam baths or rooms give us relief from muscle soreness, relief from stiff joints, immune system enhancement, lymph detoxification, blood circulation improvement and sinus congestion relief.
- people with respiratory ailments often prefer the benefits of the steam room to those of the sauna.
- steam helps in the enhancing the speed and intensity of the metabolism of our body, in turn leading to weight loss.

Sauna Benefits

A sauna is a low humidity chamber that uses hot rocks (or even infrared rays) to create a high, dry heat.
- cleaning and detoxifying your skin.
- increases blood circulation.
- improves immunity system.
- sweating in sauna helps eliminate bacteria and viruses from inside your body.
- heart pumps harder which is an aerobic workout in itself.
- the heat also helps in stimulating production of white blood cells, exactly what your body needs to fight off illnesses.
- sauna bath has been proven to help in weight loss.

NOTE : One must be careful, since the excessive exposure to the hot air may cause some severe burns. Because of that, it is very advisable to take a lot of water, both, from the inside (by drinks) and from the outside.

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Skin Cancer : causes and symptoms.

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern.
Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. This sudden transformation in the cells causing uncontrollable formulation of cells leads to a mass called a tumour. Tumour of skin is often referred to as lesions. These tumours are cancerous in the cases when they are malignant causing invasion of neighboring tissues due to the excessive growth. The tumours may also travel to remote organs through the bloodstream.
The three most common skin cancers are :
- Basal cell cancer
- Squamous cell cancer
- melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises.

Symptoms of skin cancer :
- These include changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcering in the skin, discolored skin, and changes in existing moles, such as jagged edges to the mole and enlargement of the mole.
- In the case of the basal cell carcinoma generally a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the skin of the head, neck or shoulders is visible sometimes crusting and bleeding in the center of the tumor also develops.
- In the case of Squamous cell carcinoma a thick patch develops red in color. Ulcers and bleeding can also develop.
- The melanomas have brown or black colored lesions. The signs of malignant melanoma include a change in size, shape, color or elevation in the pre-existing mole.

Causes of Skin cancer :
- Smoking tobacco and related products can double the risk of skin cancer.
- Overexposure to UV-radiation.
- Chronic non-healing wounds, especially burns.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Human papilloma virus (HPV) is often associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the genitals, anus, mouth, pharynx, and fingers.
- Skin cancer is one of the potential dangers of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.
- Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals.

Protect your skin during winters

In the winter, a drop in humidity and temperature coupled with a higher thermostat setting at home results in drier air. For most people, dry air can lead to dry, itchy skin.
“It’s important to try and control some parts of your immediate environment,” Myers said. “The goal is to keep as much moisture in the skin as possible to prevent any itching, irritation or redness.”

Tips to protect your skin in winter season :
- Use humidifiers throughout the house or at least in the bedroom.
- Wear protective gloves to minimize exposure to the elements.
- Don’t squint in the glare of snow and ice. Wear sunglasses when necessary.

HAIR :
- Expose your hair to deep conditioning. Massage your hair in aloe Vera juice for a few minutes. This will restore its softness.
- Treat your hair with oil massage once or twice a week. Olive oil can work wonders in reinforcing moisture to your hair. Heat the oil before using and allow it to soak for a time lesser than the time you allot for the summer season. Too long a period of soaking hair in oil can get you ill.
- Avoid exposing your hair to frequent coloring, streaking, or ironing as they can rob your hair off its moisture.
- Expose your hair to natural drying.

SKIN :
- A proper nutritious intake helps in rejuvenating the skin from within.
- Drink water regularly throughout the day.
- Primrose syrup and olive oil in your diet also aids in softening your skin.
- Pamper you skin with a little coconut oil before bath to heal dryness and chaps.
- Moisturizers and cold creams are a must in the winters.
- Add a few drops of oil to the water that you are using to bath. This will help retain the moisture lost when bathing.
- Take shorter, cooler showers instead of longer, hotter ones.
- After showering and before drying off completely, apply a moisturizer or emollient on the skin.
- Give your skin steam treatments and steam baths. After the steam treatment, lock in moisture with a deeply replenishing cream, lotion or gel.
- Protect skin around eyes with a richer, cell replenishing formula in winter.
- Protect lips with lip balm or gel.