Enjoying the benefits of steam therapy is one of the best things you can do to improve your health. Steam therapy is not a new concept. The ancient Egyptians were aware of the therapeutic effects of inhalation and built public baths. Today, experts still recommend steam therapy to treat many problems and conditions, especially those related to the respiratory system.
Two Methods of Using Steam Therapy
Steam therapy or steam inhalation can be done using a hot steam shower or a bowl filled with hot water. Whichever method you choose, steam inhalation helps move warm, moist air from the nose and throat to the lungs and has great therapeutic benefits.
The traditional method of using a container of hot water.
Using a bowl of boiling water is actually a traditional method of steam therapy. This type of steam therapy is suitable for cleansing facial skin and respiratory problems.
1. Boil a few glasses of water and then pour the steaming water into a large container.
2. Place the container on a hard, flat surface.
3. Place a towel over your head to trap the steam in the space you have created.
4. Lean over the bowl and inhale the steam.
For even more benefits, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the container.
Turn Your Bathroom into a Steam Room
One of the easiest ways to enjoy a steam shower is to purchase a ready-to-install steam shower kit. However, if you don’t want to spend extra money, you can turn your current bathroom into a steam room. It’s easy to do, just follow the steps below:
1. Warm up the bathroom with a small heater for 10-15 minutes before turning on the tap. Remove the heater from the bathroom before turning on the shower.
2. If you have a humidifier, use it to steam your bathroom.
3. Cover the cracks and joints of door and window frames to prevent steam loss.
4. Prepare a bathrobe, towels and essential oils. Also put some drinking water in the bottle next to you.
5. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a small bowl of boiling water and place it near the shower.
6. Make the shower as hot as possible, being careful not to burn your skin.
7. Find a comfortable chair in the bathroom, place a towel on it and sit down. Let the steam penetrate your skin and open all the pores.
8. Enjoy this bath for 10-15 minutes and drink water occasionally.
9. When you are done, take a cold shower to bring your body temperature back to normal. Dry your body completely and use a good moisturizer to further moisturize and nourish the skin.
Caution:
Health Benefits of Fumigation or Steam Therapy
1. Makes Breathing Easier
If you have a stuffy nose, cold, flu, bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, allergies or any type of respiratory infection, steam therapy is very effective for you.
Steam inhalation involves drawing warm, moist air through the nose and throat into the lungs, which helps open the sinuses and makes breathing easier.
The warm moisture also thins mucus and makes it easier to eliminate. This in turn relieves nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.
Steam inhalation also helps soothe irritated airways, so you no longer have that unpleasant feeling in your nose.
2. Cure Headaches
Severe headaches, especially if they are due to a sinus problem, can be easily treated with steam therapy.
Steam inhalation helps relieve the pressure built up in your sinuses that prevents mucus from draining properly. It also soothes the mucous membranes and helps combat nasal congestion. This helps reduce headaches.
Additionally, steam inhalation also moistens the nasal passages, which helps thin mucus and reduce congestion. This will also help relieve the throbbing pain that can occur with sinus problems.
3. Reduce Stress
When you are stressed, a steam room can significantly relax your mind and body.
The heat of a steam room helps release endorphins in the body, a feel-good chemical that helps reduce the effects of stress. Additionally, endorphins contribute to deep sleep.
Most importantly, the heat of the steam increases blood circulation and relaxes your muscles.
In addition, the heat of the steam room opens up the airways, which improves breathing. Breathing properly helps relax the mind and body.
4. Eliminates Toxins from the Body.
The formation of toxic substances and pus as well as environmental pollution can affect your immune system and cause various problems. However, by using a steam room occasionally, you can get rid of toxins and waste that accumulate in your body due to stress, poor eating habits, poor digestion, and other external factors.
This happens because the hot steam causes sweating, which helps flush toxins out of the body. In fact, sitting in a steam room for about 15 minutes can flush out daily sweat and waste from the body.
Additionally, steam creates a hypothermic state in the body in which viruses, bacteria, and other toxins cannot survive.
5. Relieves Muscle Dryness and Soreness.
Steam therapy can help relieve muscle fatigue after exercise. This is why professional athletes take a hot steam shower or go to the sauna immediately after training.
The buildup of metabolic waste in your muscles during exercise leads to muscle soreness. The heat of the steam room helps the body flush out this metabolic waste, which helps reduce muscle dryness and soreness.
Steam bathing also helps dilate (open up) blood vessels, improve blood circulation, and increase blood flow to the muscles. This allows more oxygen and nutrients to reach the areas of the body that need rest and repair.
6. It is beneficial for skin and hair health.
Just 15 minutes of steam treatment per week can help you achieve beautiful and flawless skin.
Steam opens the pores of the skin and causes sweating, removing dead cells, bacteria and pus that accumulate in the pores. Ultimately, this reduces the risk of acne, blackheads and other similar skin problems.
In addition, moist heat stimulates blood circulation in the skin, so that more oxygen and nutrients reach the skin and it remains healthy and radiant.
Steam therapy not only improves the health of the skin, but also the hair and scalp by increasing blood flow to the head, increasing hair elasticity and controlling sebum production.
More Tips and Advice
You can buy steamers that create a steady stream of warm mist and moist air to help relieve cold symptoms.
When inhaling from the steaming water container, avoid leaning too close to the container or the water may splash.
- The temperature in the steam room should not exceed 114 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Do not stay in the steam room for more than 15 minutes and be sure to drink plenty of water during this time. Prolonged exposure to the fumes can cause dehydration, heart palpitations, fainting, nausea, or heat stroke.
- If you feel hot, weak, or sleepy in the steam room, leave the steam room immediately. Drink water and allow your body to cool down.
- Since the hot and humid air in the steam room is a favorable environment for the growth of fungi and bacteria, necessary measures should be taken to keep the bathroom clean.
- Do not use crowded public steam rooms as germs can easily be transmitted.
Warning:
Steam inhalation is not recommended for young children, pregnant women and people with high blood pressure.
- Pregnant women, the elderly or young children should not have access to steam rooms.
People with high blood pressure, heart problems, heart palpitations, diabetes and other conditions should consult a doctor before using the steam room for the first time.
- Do not use steam therapy after consuming alcohol or a heavy meal.
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