Here’s Why Public Saunas Are Actually Really Unhealthy

They Help Bacteria Thrive

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The biggest negative that comes from public saunas is that organisms are in the perfect conditions for them to multiply. They are infinitely more likely to hang around in areas that are as moist and warm as the sauna is meaning you could be at risk from a whole range of health problems!

You Could Get Diarrhoea

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As a result of the bacteria found within many local saunas, ones that anyone can enter, you might find yourself becoming ill quite quickly. Bacteria that can cause you to get diarrhoea thrives in the warm environment and may stay for up to 10 days after it enters. No one wants that!

Wood Can Harbor Germs

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Unfortunately, saunas often don't have the sort of seating that you really want in order to avoid bacterial infections. Typically, wooden benches are a common occurrence in local spas and the fact that they're all of these things: damp, porous and wooden, mean that bacteria can touch your skin.

Make Sure To Sit On Your Towel

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One of the best ways to avoid catching any bacteria from within the public sauna is by trying to avoid touching as much as you can from within the sauna. Often, people start trying to find ways to avoid this contact, so sitting on your towel became a common practice. It keeps you away from the wood!

Yeast Skin Infections

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One common issue as a result of spending too much time within a sauna is something that also gets called Hot Tub Rash. Essentially, the bacteria within a sauna isn't visible, so you don't know you're stepping in to something that can cause issues. Yeast infections can cause bumpy uncomfortable rashes.

Dermatitis Can Worsen

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Dermatitis, a skin condition, can be awkward at the worst of times, but the thing spending too much time in a sauna can actually cause these problems to worsen. You might appear unhealthy yourself if your skin begins drying within the sauna. Don't forget, your skin might flake in the sauna!

You Could Get Impetigo

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Impetigo is an infection caused by strep or staph and is typically seen more often in children. Unfortunately, in the heat of a steam room this risk is higher in adults. Impetigo is essentially an issue where you get small red spots and blisters that can break open, leak and later crust over. Yuck.

You Might Get An Upset Stomach

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This goes hand in hand with getting Diarrhoea, but encompasses a wider range of issues that can arise from an upset stomach. We're talking about looking at bloating and stomach cramps that could cause you some uncomfortable issues, which in turn could also cause you to throw up.

Coughing Fits Are More Likely

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If you decide to enter the sauna at a time when you're already not feeling at your best can cause you some issues. If you were to enter the sauna whilst you have a cold you would probably find some additional issues such as forcing yourself in to having a coughing fit.

You're Around Unwell People

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Not only do you have to think about entering the sauna when you're ill, you also have to realise that other people will enter the sauna even when they're unwell. There's a wide number of people that decide to do things to benefit them, and not think about how their illness could affect others.

Mold Can Form

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You're probably aware that bacteria thrives in warm damp places by now, and one of the main problems that can occur is that mold can form within them. Mold complications can range anywhere from minor to severe, most of them causing problems to the body in regards to breathing difficulties.

They Need To Have Air Circulation

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And what better way to avoid getting mold than by ensuring that their are air vents in the sauna you decide to use. These days, its extremely rare that you'll ever come across a public sauna without a vent, but this is essentially the only way to keep mold away.

They Need To Be Regularly Cleaned

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Another way that a sauna can become unhygienic is if the staff looking after it don't clean it regularly. If the sauna room is wiped down and given a thorough clean on a regular basis then its much less likely you'll be at risk of a bacterial infection. Make sure your local sauna is a good one!

People Eat In There

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The problem with some local and public saunas is that rules aren't always enforced the way that they ultimately should be. Some people actually push the rules so far that they take food and drink in the sauna which can only be unhygienic. You're going to want to give those sorts of people a stern word.

Athlete's Foot Is Common

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As we've already discussed, if your bare skin comes in to contact with items in a sauna you're probably going to struggle with gathering a collection of bacterial like infections. One of the most common ones people tend to find is that they get athlete's foot. This can be incredibly uncomfortable.

Wear Some Sandals Or Flip Flops

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One of the best ways to avoid having your feet on the bare floor of the sauna is by wearing some form of sandals or flip flops in order to have that additional layer of protection. Make sure to avoid certain saunas where shoes aren't allowed (an odd rule) to keep away from these fungal infections.

Avoid When You Have Cuts

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It can be quite dangerous to enter the sauna if you're going in whilst your body is currently damaged with any open wounds like cuts or scrapes. Unfortunately, these open wounds are open to infection, so it might be best to decide to use a Band-Aid in order to protect yourself from unnecessary issues.

You Might Get An Ear Infection

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Infections of the ear are extremely common in people who spend a lot of time in and around the swimming pool or in this case the sauna. This is caused by the amount of water entering the ear canal, but the issues are exaggerated when you add the overwhelming amount of bacteria within a sauna.

There's So Much Sweat In There

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We all know how sweaty we can get when we're spending a lot of time at the sauna, and realistically, there's never a time when you want to be around more sweaty people. Maybe you'd like to consider stepping away to the side of people to avoid shearing your sweat with the fellow sauna goers.

Bacteria Can Blind You

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There is a bacteria known as Acanthamoeba (long word, I know) that can often be found within steam rooms or other areas where water is present. This can dry your skin, which in turn can even cause some issues within your eyes. Eye problems are obviously risky, and blindness is a potential issue.

Genital Infections

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As other people might be carrying infections, you are at risk of getting anything they might be carrying. These issues can even occur in places we REALLY don't want to have problems in. Unfortunately, there is a chance you could develop infections of the 'underground' variety.

Other People's Hair May Be In There

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Obviously, there's a whole range of disgusting things that might be found within a sauna, and one of these unhygienic items is other people's hair. Now rogue hairs probably aren't going to be the sorts of things to give you issues but it's still a little grim knowing other people's hairs might be on you.

Some People Are Unhygienic

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Alongside finding other disgusting things on the floor or around the sauna, you'll also probably realise that there are certain people that enter the room in a state that isn't particularly 'suitable'. People can go out the house in all sorts of states, and you could find anyone in the sauna.

Some People Use Them For 'Different' Reasons

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Unfortunately Saunas and steam rooms have become synonymous with incidents of the sexual variety. Some groups of people have come together to make these places their own location to use for their own satisfaction. And that doesn't sound like the sort of place I want to relax.

You Can Dehydrate Yourself

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If you spend longer than 10 or so minutes in the sauna you might end up dehydrating yourself. This is only going to lead you in to the possibility of suffering from even more problems in the future, and possibly some infections. You might want to take a bottle of water inside with you.

It Doesn't Smell Great

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It's not surprising that with all the sweat, and dirt and hair and erm, interactions, that go on in the sauna that it can gather some interesting smells. You probably don't want to spend time around places that make you turn your nose up so it might be best to find a clean one.

Legionnaires' Disease

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Legionella bacteria is very common within steam rooms and saunas, especially when the water system isn't isn't maintained and disinfected properly. This is a type of pneumonia that can cause issues that lead to light symptoms like fatigue and headaches, to major issues like cardiac issues and even death.

People Can Vomit In Them

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Vomiting is never something we want to do ourselves, nor is it something that we want to witness other people do. Unfortunately, the problem with saunas is that the heat can be overwhelming and this can cause some people to throw up. I can think of better places to relax.

Urinary Tract Infections

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One of the other types of infection that could come from spending too much time in the sauna is urinary tract infections. These can occur as a result of urinary tract flora often being in the water found on the floor and on the benches of the sauna. Not worth the risk really.

The Floor Drains Can Block

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As a result of all the things that might fall off of the human body, the drains at the bottom of the sauna can block and then overflow. This will bring up a whole array of dirty water, hair, skin all over the floor. Now surely that can't be any good for your chances to avoid any infections.