Sauna Safety
Despite their benefits, saunas may not be appropriate for everyone. Check with your doctor before using a sauna, especially if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythm, or unstable angina. If you have any of these health conditions, limit your sauna use to five minutes per visit, and make sure to cool down slowly.
Check with your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, before using a sauna.
Don’t use a sauna if you take medications which interfere with your body’s ability to regulate temperature, or medications which make you drowsy.
Don’t use a sauna if you’re ill.
Drink at least one full glass of water before and after using a sauna, to avoid dehydration.
Don’t drink alcohol before, during, or after sauna use.
Don’t use recreational drugs before, during, or after sauna use.
Don’t eat a large meal prior to using a sauna.
An article published in the American Journal of Public Health recommends that healthy people not sit in a sauna for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. If you’re new to the sauna experience, listen to your body and start slowly (for no more than 5 to 10 minutes per session). You can build up your tolerance for the heat over multiple visits.
Never let yourself fall asleep in a sauna.
Exit the sauna if you feel dizzy or ill.
The SAVU sauna tradition often ends with a plunge in freezing cold water. This may not be appropriate for everyone, especially for those who are pregnant, or those with heart or other health conditions. It may be better to let your body temperature return to normal gradually after sauna use to avoid dizziness.
Saunas temporarily elevate the temperature of the scrotum. If you’re a man, this does not mean you can use sauna as a birth control method. However, regular sauna use may temporarily reduce your sperm count, and should be avoided if you’re actively attempting to impregnate your partner.
(source: healthline.com)