Dry Heat vs Steam
The effectiveness of hyperthermia directly correlates with the ability to eliminate heat loss during treatments. As the patient's temperature begins to rise, the body's natural response is to perspire so that the evaporation of the perspiration will cool the body. In dry heat or in radiant heat sauna, undesirable cooling undermines hyperthermia by the natural evaporation process.
However, in a steam bath, evaporation is not possible and therefore allows little or no loss of valuable body heat. The moisture level actually causes condensation on the body to become the primary heat transfer mechanism heating the body. You still perspire as heavily, it just doesn't evaporate and dry on the skin. The powerful cleansing and healing process of hyperthermia does not take place until the body reaches 101 -103 F.
With steam, this is accomplished quickly and effectively and does not require long periods of time. "Heat loss by evaporation in a dry sauna is considerably greater than in a humid sauna or steam room." Annuls of Clinical Research, vol. 20, pages 240-243, 1988 According to the book Alternative Medicine, compiled by Burton Goldberg Group, and published by Future Medicine, Puyallup, Washington, 1993, on page 303, "Doctor Lewis describes a patient who was being treated at the Natural Health Clinic at Bastyr College using hyperthermia produced with a steam cabinet." Cardiovascular Benefits
Steam treatments have a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular system. The pulse rate increases from 75 beats per minute to between 100-150 beats per minute during a 15-20 minute treatment. This increase blood circulation, but not blood pressure, since the heat also causes the tiny blood vessels in the skin to expand, accommodating the increased blood flow. The dilation of the capillary vessels enables the bloodstream to carry great amounts of nutrients to the skin, including the increased absorption of the essential oils that are carried in the bloodstream.
Detoxify with Steam Bathing
Apart from the immune system stimulating effects of sweat therapy, many tout it as one of the most effective and painless detoxifying treatments available. "The only detoxification program that has proven successful in removing fat stored toxins from the body is hyperthermia, or heat stress detoxification", according to Zane Gard, M.D., and Erma Brown, P.H.N. "Heat stress," says Dr. Gard, "can also remove calcium deposits from the blood vessels and break down scar tissue from their walls." Other studies demonstrate that hyperthermia can remove chemicals such as DDE (a metabolite of DDT) PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyl), and dioxin from fat cells. Literature Review and Comparison Studies of Sauna/Hyperthermia in Detoxification." Townsend Letter for Doctors 107 (June, 1992): 470-478
In a steam bath, the natural cooling process through perspiration is eliminated and therefore allows little or no loss of the valuable body heat necessary for effective detoxification or immune-boosting therapies. Unlike a dry sauna, steam does not dehydrate the skin nor allow toxin-filled perspiration to dry prior to rinsing. In a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Haemodynamic and Hormonal Responses to Heat Exposure in a Finnish Sauna Bath, dry heat was unable to elevate the body temperature to the desired level whereas steam accomplished the 101 to 103 F body core temperature quickly and efficiently in 10-15 minutes.
Heat speeds up the chemical processes in the body, making steam bathing one of the simplest and most comfortable ways to rid the body of accumulated toxins. As the pores open up and millions of sweat glands start to excrete, the body rids itself of metabolic and other waste products. Sweat contains almost the same elements as urine, and for this reason, the skin is sometimes called the third kidney. It is estimated that as much as 30 % of bodily wastes are eliminated by way of perspiration.
However, more than common metabolic waste products are secreted through the skin. Natural health practitioners often notice that when heavy smokers get a steam bath or a body wrap (where the body 'simmers' for up to 45 min. under hot covers), they will leave a yellow residue of the towels. Reino Tarkianinen, President of Finlandia Sauna, reports that when the company replaces sauna benches from public baths, a thick, black layer of accumulated tar can be found underneath the benches.
In Finland, research is being done on the use of sweat therapy in the treatment of people who are chemically affected. The purifying effects of perspiration could also be behind claims that steam treatments can help cure or control such ailments as acne and arthritis.
Last but not least, steam bathing produces powerful therapeutic effects simply by increasing circulation. As the carrier of the re-building forces of the nutrients to all parts of the body, the bloodstream plays a crucial role in the maintenance of health.
Benefits of Hyperthermia
The body protects itself from viruses, bacteria, and other harmful substances through the use of numerous defense systems. One of these is fever. Fever raises the body's temperature above normal in an attempt to destroy invading organisms and sweat impurities out of the system. Fever is a highly effective and natural process of curing disease and restoring health, and has been recognized as such for thousands of years. Hyperthermia deliberately creates fever in the patient in order to utilize this natural healing process.
How Hyperthermia Works
A state of hyperthermia exists when the body temperature rises above its normal level of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. An increase in body temperature causes many physiological responses to occur in the body. Hyperthermia takes advantage of the fact that many invading organisms tolerate a narrower temperature range than body tissues and are therefore more susceptible to increases in temperature (they may die from overheating before harm is done to human tissue). Examples are viruses such as rhinivirus1 (responsible for one-half of all respiratory infections), HIV (human immuniodeficiency virus), 2 and the microorganisms and bacteria that causes syphilis and gonorrhea.3
Hyperthermia treatments may not be able to kill every invading organism, but they can reduce their numbers to a level the immune system can handle. Hyperthermia stimulates the immune system by increasing the production of antibodies and interferon (a protein substance produced by virus-invading cells that prevents reproduction of the virus). Hyperthermia is also a useful technique in detoxification therapy because it releases toxins stored in fat cells.
Hyperthermia can be produced either locally or over the whole body. Locally-applied hyperthermia is most often employed to treat infections such as upper respiratory infections (with inhalation of steam or a local application of diathermy), or for infected wounds in a hand or foot (generally produced with immersion in a hot water bath). Whole-body hyperthermia, on the other hand, is used when there is a general infection, when a local application is impractical, or when a general whole-body response is desirable. For whole-body hyperthermia, practitioners normally utilize the methods of full-immersion baths, steam baths, and blanket packs.
Hyperthermia in all of its forms is often employed in the treatment of bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and other conditions of the lungs and body cavities, and is used as a modality for physical therapy.
Hyperthermia can also be used in the treatment of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, bladder problems, and urinary tract infections such as cystitis.
Effects of a Steam Bath
A steam bath is health giving as well as enjoyable. As a supportive activity, a steam bath is especially recommended to alleviate the conditions listed below by virtue of its high steam content and the general benefits of moist heat. The list was confirmed by the research carried out at the Institute of Medical Balneology and Climatologic at the University of Munich: Bronchial asthma, bronchitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, coughs, hoarseness, expectoration (particularly with the assistance of essential oils) non-acute rheumatic complaints and restricted or painful movements of the joints.
In addition, again as a supportive measure the steam bath is beneficial for persons suffering from: Sleeping disorders, particularly through over excitability, poor skin circulation, dry, chapped skin, muscular tension, muscular weakness in the subcutaneous blood vessels, and sensitivity to sudden changes of temperature. A great advantage of the steam bath lies in its highly beneficial effect on the skin, a feature particularly appreciated by women. The moist heat stimulates the subcutaneous blood flow and cleanses the skin intensively, opening the pores, removing dead skin and impurities and leaving the skin feeling soft, clean and silky smooth.
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