Sauna

What happens to the lungs when you are exposed to long hours of sauna?

Does anything happen to the lungs/pulmonary sacks because of the long exposure (1-2hrs) to the cloud of vapors in the sauna? What about the case when you accidentally breathe underwater? Do the lungs get damaged?

Public Comments

1. Saunas could help ease congestion if you are sick (thats why when you are sick, you use a vaporizor). A sauna causes no damage to your lungs. Your breath is a vapor also, full of water droplets so breathing in humidity is not damaging to your lungs at all. Your lungs are not designed to breathe in water, you could damage your lungs quite severly if you inhale water. Inhaling water can cause drowning (obviously) but also possibly pneumonia
2. generally nothing damaging is going to occur that would be chronic. there can be acute issues with some of your curious questions. for instance in a too hot of an environment the airway mucosal tissue can get inflammed (thats just a simplistic explanation as there is much more involved but still not serious); and then breathing underwater is for fish if you havent heard. depends on the water also, salt or fresh, and any contaminates. so lets just say you are in the ocean and breath in some water (really getting a 1/2 cup full into the lungs). you'll cough, gag, throw up, feel like poop, then nothing will happen. however there is always the possibility of a pneumonia occuring, or bleeding from spastic coughing, and chest soreness, etc etc but nothing permanantly damaging is likely to occur. the lungs are a very resilient organ. so dont worry about moisture in a sauna, but do worry about excessive heat and dehydration.