Saunas should not be used anywhere near alcohol, plain and simple. Regardless of whether you’ve had only one drink or are recovering from drunk adventures the night prior, saunas and alcohol do not mix. Here’s why.
The exact mechanisms that explain the interaction of sauna and alcohol are not well known. Much of the discussion surrounding the physiological and medical consequences of a sauna interacting with alcohol relies on presumption and what’s known about how a sauna works. For example, it is assumed ingesting a large amount of alcohol while sauna bathing may affect the body’s ability to maintain healthy blood pressure. Subsequently, we know there’s a rise in concomitant faintings and accidents. Alcohol intoxication can also affect a person’s cardiac rhythms and when combined with a sauna, it’s believed the risk of arrhythmia increases due to enhance adrenergic activity.
There are alcohol-related accidents which occur in saunas every year by people who attempt sitting in a sauna while under the influence. As a sauna relaxes your body, it’s not uncommon for someone who is off-balance to occur a sprain or fall. Subsequently, there have been burns on drunk sauna users from some traditional saunas or steam rooms reported. There are also more serious injuries which can occur, such as head contusions and heat stroke from passing out in a sauna. As a sauna relaxes and calms a person down, if you fall asleep or pass out from dehydration related to alcohol, you could be in very big trouble if there isn’t someone to take you out.
The exact number of alcohol-related sauna incidents is not known publicly. That said, in Finland which has a population of nearly 5 million people, the consumption of alcohol is connected to some 20-25 sauna-related deaths every year. There is a risk to anyone who is drinking, involved in heavy drinking semi-regularly, who is drunk or working off a ‘buzz’, and even during hangover phase.
Some people have praised a sauna as a hangover cure but this isn’t what will happen. Saunas can exacerbate symptoms of alcohol consumption or hangover and do so within minutes. Dehydration is a particularly serious risk. As you lose hydration, this brings the body closer to fainting, potential injury, or worse. Although a sauna can relieve anxiety and depression, and promote a deeper sleep, this all works on relaxation. Drinking alcohol while doing this, it complicates all the benefits and effects of a sauna. It puts stress on your system in some very unhealthy ways.
Perhaps you’ve already gone into a sauna partially drunk or with a hangover. Even if nothing happens the times you’ve tried it, you could still be doing long-term damage. Studies have not done enough to study the relationship with sauna and alcohol to say with any confidence it’s safe.
What is known however is that alcohol is related to several sauna-related deaths. This is all the insight and evidence we need to say to exercise caution. If you have a hangover and you absolutely must get into the sauna, wait. Instead, rest, get some water, eat some food, and wait. Your body will thank you and you’ll be saving yourself some serious risks. Don’t put your organs and health at risk.