Inhalation Therapy vs Steam Therapy
Inhalation therapy is the therapeutic use of gases or aerosols by inhalation. At first, inhalation therapy appears to be related to steam therapy, but the term inhalation therapy is more commonly used in reference to the treatment of respiratory diseases using a nebuliser device.How Steam Therapy Works
Although often considered a symptom of illness, fever is actually part of the body's healing system. Steam baths and other hyperthermic therapies induce "artificial fevers". Although artificial fevers aren't as effective as natural fevers, they still benefit a great many bodily processes.As your temperature rises, your body's natural response is to perspire. As perspiration evaporates, the body cools down again. However, in a steam bath, the increased humidity blocks evaporation. You still sweat and as your pores open, the body purges itself of toxins and other wastes.
Your rising temperature also promotes other types of healing. When your body temperature reaches from 101°-103°F it's a signal to your immune system to swing into action. Secondly, most pathogens that enter the body can't withstand the high temperatures so your elevated body temperature either destroys or weakens them.
Your pulse rate speeds up from 75 beats a minute to up to 150 beats a minute, resulting in increased blood circulation. However, your blood pressure remains stable since the heat also causes blood vessels to expand, making way for increased blood flow. Your bloodstream carries nutrients to your skin that both enhance and revitalize it.
Steam Therapy Benefits
Both Hippocrates and the Greek physician Parmenides are credited for saying, "Give me the power to create a fever and I will cure any illness." Regardless as to who said it first, working up a sweat is great therapy for both mind and body. The benefits of steam baths include:- Reducing tension
- Relaxation of muscle tissue
- Increasing muscle flexibility
- Detoxification
- Increasing circulation
- Stimulation of the immune system
- Revitalizing skin and enhancing skin tone
Steam Therapy Advisories
Hyperthermic therapies aren't recommended for everyone. Individuals who have heart disease, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular problems should consult with their health care practitioner before using a steam room or sauna. In addition, steam baths are not recommended for pregnant women, small children, or the elderly.Hyperthermic therapy is not recommended for those who have an existing fever or an open wound.
Because steam rooms and baths unavoidably elevate body temperature, refrain from using one after rigorous exercise until your body cools to its natural temperature.
Steam therapy is quick. Your maximum time in a steam room shouldn't exceed 20 minutes.
You can lose up to a pint of fluid in a 15-minute steam bath. Be sure to go into a steam room well-hydrated and drink plenty of fluids afterwards to replace fluids lost during your steam bath.
A dry sauna does not provide the same benefits of a steam bath. Although both induce artificial fever, dry saunas allow perspiration to evaporate and the body to cool quickly back to its normal temperature. When using a sauna for steam therapy, you need to keep the hot rocks wet. Pouring water on the hot rocks of a sauna can increase the humidity by up to 40%.
Today saunas and steam rooms bring visions of Scandinavian countries like Finland and Lapland. Yet steam therapy is a source of relaxation and healing that spans all cultures and all eras through history from Native American sweat lodges to steam rooms in India, from Turkish bath steam chambers to elaborate Roman baths.
Today's spa goers and those fortunate to have their own sauna may regularly take advantage of the benefits of steam therapy.
