Saunas are often sold as the ultimate self-care health ritual. You step inside, feel the dry heat soak into your skin, and within minutes, your body is working harder, your pulse rising, and your stress slipping away.
For most people, they’re not just safe but beneficial, linked with improved heart health and even longer lives. But under the wrong circumstances, saunas can also kill, and it often comes down to one deadly mistake
Harvard Men's Health Watch explains: “A saunas' dry heat (which can get as high as 185° F) has profound effects on the body.
“Skin temperature soars to about 104° F within minutes. The average person will pour out a pint of sweat during a short stint in a sauna. The pulse rate jumps by 30 percent or more, allowing the heart to nearly double the amount of blood it pumps each minute.”
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That intense environment is fine when used sensibly. However, when misused, the results can be catastrophic.
The most infamous case came in 2010 at the World Sauna Championships, where a competitor tragically died after trying to endure 230°F heat (approximately 110°C). Though organisers said all of the event's rules were followed.
Doctors say sudden death in a sauna is rare, but when it does happen, alcohol is usually part of the story.
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University of Helsinki researchers put it bluntly: “Sudden death during or after sauna bathing is a rare event. When occurring accidentally, it is often caused or contributed by consumption of ethanol.”
Alcohol and saunas are a dangerous cocktail. Booze relaxes blood vessels and drops blood pressure. In the heat, that strain intensifies as the heart races to keep up.
Add dehydration into the mix, and fainting becomes much more likely. Passing out in a scorching hot room is a recipe for disaster.
A study from Finland and another study taking place in Sweden confirmed it: up to half of sauna deaths involve alcohol, and nearly all of the victims were alone.
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A separate investigation into Finnish health records backs this up, with national data linking alcohol to 20 to 25 sauna deaths every year.
The risks aren’t just about accidents, either. Doctors warn that drinking before a sauna makes heart complications like arrhythmias more likely, thanks to the combined hit on blood pressure and circulation.
Humidity can also turn deadly.
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Saunas are designed to be dry, but when the air gets heavy with moisture, heat transfer skyrockets. The body can’t cope as easily, leading to scalding burns.
In the worst cases, victims’ skin can peel away, and even internal burns have been reported.
Despite these grim warnings, experts stress that most sauna sessions are safe and even healthy when used properly. The key is to avoid the one mistake that shows up again and again in tragic cases: drinking before you go in.
Specialists say the best routine is simple: keep sessions short, drink water, take breaks, and save alcohol for afterwards.
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Used wisely, saunas are a calming escape. Used carelessly, especially with alcohol, they can turn fatal in minutes.
Ben Williams