Infrared sauna in San Antonio

Short answer: An infrared sauna uses infrared light to warm your body directly, so the air around you stays cooler than in a traditional sauna. At Yaso Wellness on San Antonio's South Side, many people use it to relax and unwind. Studies hint at some possible health effects, but larger, better studies are still needed.

Key facts

  • How it works: infrared heaters warm your skin and body directly, instead of heating the air first. You still sweat and your heart rate goes up, much like moderate exercise.
  • Lower air temperature: infrared saunas run at lower temperatures than traditional saunas, which some people find easier to tolerate.
  • What research has looked at: saunas have been studied in high blood pressure, heart failure, dementia, headache, type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Mayo Clinic notes some proof that saunas may help, but some of those studies used regular saunas, and larger studies are needed.
  • What it does not do: sweating is how your body cools itself. Your liver and kidneys, not sweat, clear waste from the body.
  • Main risks: overheating, dehydration, dizziness and fainting. Alcohol makes these more likely.
  • Pregnancy: ACOG advises avoiding saunas and hot tubs early in pregnancy.

How is an infrared sauna different from a traditional sauna?

A traditional (Finnish) sauna heats the air with a stove or heated rocks, and the hot air warms you. Some let you pour water on the rocks for bursts of steam.

An infrared sauna uses panels that give off infrared light, which you feel as warmth on your skin. The room air is cooler, so many people can stay comfortable a little longer. You will still sweat a lot.

A steam room, like the one used in a Turkish hammam, uses moist heat at lower temperatures with very high humidity. Each feels different, and people often have a clear favorite.

What are the benefits of an infrared sauna?

For many people, the main benefit is simple: time to rest somewhere warm and quiet. Some people say the heat eases sore, stiff muscles after a workout.

Research on longer-term health effects is still early. Sauna use has been studied in heart and blood pressure conditions, dementia, diabetes and arthritis, with some promising signs. But the studies are mostly small or observational, and many used traditional saunas. A sauna should never replace treatment for a medical condition.

Who should not use an infrared sauna?

Not everyone should use a sauna. Talk with a clinician first, or skip it, if you:

  • are pregnant or trying to get pregnant;
  • have heart disease, especially unstable chest pain or a recent heart attack, or heart failure;
  • have very high or very low blood pressure, or faint easily;
  • have kidney disease, or a health problem that makes it hard to sweat or handle heat;
  • take medicines that affect heat tolerance or fluids, such as beta-blockers, water pills (diuretics), or some medicines for depression, psychosis or ADHD;
  • have been drinking alcohol;
  • are sick, have a fever, or have open wounds or a fresh sunburn.

How do I use an infrared sauna safely?

  • Drink water before and after your session.
  • Start short. First-timers often begin with a shorter session and build up.
  • Skip alcohol before and during sauna use.
  • Get out right away if you feel dizzy, sick to your stomach, confused, or have a headache or a racing heart.
  • Cool down slowly and sit for a few minutes before you drive.

These are signs of heat illness. Heat stroke, when the body can no longer control its temperature, is an emergency. Call 911 for confusion, fainting or a seizure.

Can an infrared sauna help with menopause or weight?

Heat can trigger hot flashes in some people in perimenopause or menopause, so the sauna may feel worse, not better, for them. If hot flashes or night sweats bother you, Dr. Vargas can talk through treatment options.

Any weight you lose in a sauna is water from sweating, and it comes back when you drink. For lasting weight change, a medical weight loss program is a better place to start.

What to ask your clinician

  • Is a sauna safe with my heart, blood pressure or other health conditions?
  • Do any of my medicines make heat riskier for me?
  • I'm pregnant or trying to conceive. Should I wait?
  • How long should my first session be?

FAQs

What is a far infrared sauna? Infrared light comes in near, mid and far wavelengths. Many home and spa infrared saunas use far infrared heaters. Some "full spectrum" saunas use more than one type.

Does an infrared sauna burn calories like a workout? Your heart rate rises in the heat, but sitting in a sauna is not a substitute for exercise.

Is an infrared sauna safe if I have high blood pressure? Ask a clinician first. Heat changes heart rate and blood pressure, and some blood pressure medicines affect how you handle heat.

Is the infrared light harmful? Infrared heat is not the same as ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or tanning beds. It warms the skin rather than tanning it.

Book a visit

Looking for a quiet, warm reset? Book an infrared sauna session, and tell staff about any health conditions first.

Book a visit or call (210) 903-1030 In-clinic in San Antonio • Telehealth for women located in Texas (sauna sessions are in person) Yaso Wellness Health Clinic, 1907 Goliad Rd, San Antonio, TX 78223

About the clinician

Leticia Vargas, MD, OB/GYN. About Dr. Vargas

Sources

Education only, not medical advice or a diagnosis. In an emergency, call 911.