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As a rule, sauna helps against headaches, but just as often many people suffer from headaches after sauna. The causes are manifold. The most common cause, however, is and remains a lack of water.
This is why you have a headache after the sauna
Sauning is healthy and can counteract migraines and simple headaches. However, for some people the opposite is true: headaches after the sauna.
- The most common cause of headaches after a sauna is a lack of fluids. This is because in the sauna your body sweats more than usual and so loses a lot of water.
- If your body does not get enough water during the day, the consequences are headaches. To prevent the pain, drink plenty of water before you go to the sauna. The body needs to be hydrated throughout the day to avoid pain after a sauna.
- With water loss comes mineral loss. This means that electrolytes and salt are flushed out of the body along with the water during sauna.
- This is why it is important that you not only drink water, but also tea or fruit juices. This will help you prepare your body for the sauna.
- If you have exercised or done a lot of exercise before the sauna, your body also has a very good blood supply. This makes your body sweat even more in the sauna.
- Do not eat just before you go into the sauna. But you should also not go to the sauna on an empty stomach, as this usually leads to headaches and discomfort.
- If you haven’t eaten all day, your blood sugar level will be too low. In the worst case, you will not only get a headache, but also circulation problems.
Don’t go to the sauna too often
To avoid health problems and headaches after the sauna, do not sit in the sauna too often in one day.
- If you do not go to the sauna regularly, you should not expose your body to the sauna too much. This means do not sit in the sauna more than three times in one day.
- Plan longer breaks between sauna sessions and cool down properly in the meantime. A cold shower or a swim is always good for you after the sauna.
- Your body also needs to be cooled down again after the sauna. For example, go for a walk in the fresh air.
- Don’t pack your head too thickly. This is because it should be cooled down especially well after the sauna. Otherwise the risk of headaches is too high.
