Do you have the habit of taking a cold shower when the weather is hot, the temperature is high, after exercise or before sleeping? If so, you need to be careful because taking a cold shower can be harmful to our health.
The Hazards of Taking Cold Showers
First of all, we must realize that our body is still in a state of high metabolism, increased heat production, and skin blood vessel dilation. If we immediately take a cold shower at this time, not only will the skin be stimulated by the cold water, but also through neural reflex, it will cause the skin blood vessels to contract, impeding sweat cooling. The end result is difficulty in dissipating heat and increased body temperature. Secondly, the reduced blood flow to the skin decreases the blood return to the heart, increasing the burden on the heart. It may cause abnormal function of intracranial blood vessels, resulting in dizziness, headache, darkening of vision, and even vomiting.
Therefore, the best way is to rest for 30-45 minutes after exercising before taking a shower. The shower should be completed within 5-10 minutes with warm water, and the water temperature should not exceed 36-39℃. This is especially important for people with weaker constitution who should pay attention to the water temperature.
The Benefits of Taking Hot Showers
1. Hot showers can relieve fatigue and make you feel cooler after washing, rather than hotter.
2. Hot showers can accelerate blood circulation in the skin and muscles, dilate capillaries, promote heat dissipation, accelerate metabolism, provide nutrition to all parts of the skin, and speed up the clearance of metabolic by-products such as lactic acid.
3. Hot showers at appropriate temperatures can also calm the nerves, relax the muscles throughout the body, and even have sedative, anti-itch, analgesic, and anti-allergic effects.
Therefore, even in hot weather, do not take cold showers. At the same time, it is important to control the water temperature when taking hot showers, otherwise it can have adverse effects. The water temperature should be around 30℃.
Avoid Prolonged Bathing
Some people enjoy taking baths, even soaking in the bathtub while listening to music. However, prolonged bathing is not good for health. Prolonged bathing can cause fatigue and can easily lead to myocardial ischemia and hypoxia. In severe cases, it can cause coronary artery spasm, thrombus formation, and even induce arrhythmia and sudden death. In addition, excessive bathing time reduces blood supply to the head, which can lead to cerebral ischemia and accidents. Therefore, if you are taking a bath, 20 minutes is sufficient.
Friendly reminder: The water temperature for bathing should not be too high, and it is recommended to be between 24℃ and 29℃. Excessive water temperature can damage the surface oil of the skin, dilate capillaries, and worsen skin dryness. It can also increase the burden on the heart because the blood vessels in the entire skin are significantly dilated, diverting blood flow away from the heart, leading to myocardial ischemia and hypoxia.
