Is it possible to take a steam bath during menstruation?

The question of whether visiting the steam room is allowed during menstruation is controversial. This depends on the individual characteristics of the female body: in some cases, a bath or sauna may be allowed during certain periods, while in others it is strictly prohibited.

What happens to the body during menstruation

The menstrual cycle is based on the preparation of the epithelial layers to receive a fertilized egg. If, after the allotted period, conception has not taken place, the uterus gradually rejects the epithelium, thereby triggering the natural self-cleaning of the body.

The bathhouse is also known for its cleansing properties: staying in the steam room improves blood circulation, starts metabolism and removes harmful substances through the skin.

Logically, the combination of two cleansing processes - menstruation and visiting a bathhouse - should have a doubly beneficial effect on a woman’s health, but in practice this is not the case.

During this period, a woman experiences the following changes:

The process of releasing an egg is painful. Over the course of several days (usually up to 5), there is a strong deterioration in health. In addition to constant aching pain and spasms, fatigue is felt (even with minor exertion), working capacity is reduced, and sleep problems are possible;
The woman becomes irritable. Hormonal changes, pain and a constant feeling of discomfort often lead to neuroses and breakdowns;
To push away the layers of epithelium, the cervix opens and becomes like an open wound with unstoppable bleeding. In this situation, the internal organs are highly susceptible to infection.

The bathhouse, despite all its positive functions, even under normal conditions is a strong burden on the body.

The female body, exhausted by menstruation, needs to be treated with care, and the steam room is a test of strength for it, and can cause dangerous consequences.

Consequences of a bath during menstruation

During this period, the body is required to perform a number of tasks aimed at balancing the woman’s physical health and bringing hormonal balance back to normal.

Staying in a steam room is an additional dose of stress, and a tired body does not always have the strength to cope with it.

A visit to the bathhouse during menstruation can cause dangerous consequences:

High temperatures in the steam room dilate blood vessels and increase blood circulation
. On critical days, this is fraught with severe and prolonged vaginal bleeding. In the most dangerous cases, medical intervention is required to stop it;
Some women experience the opposite reaction - after visiting a steam room with a very high temperature, menstruation may stop
. This phenomenon is considered a pathology and requires consultation with a doctor;
Due to the dilation of the cervix and high temperatures, there is a high probability of contracting a fungus
or other pathogenic infection in the bathhouse. This even applies to private saunas, because it is almost impossible to maintain absolute sterility in them. Some infectious diseases can lead to infertility.

Women often mistakenly believe that using a tampon allows them to visit the steam room without harming their health.

This measure only partially reduces the likelihood of infection; a hygienic tampon cannot protect against other consequences.

The above consequences are a significant explanation for why you should not visit a sauna or steam bath during menstrual periods. You should take care of your health and not risk it.

“There were no cases of diseases related to water quality”

Photo is for illustrative purposes only.

The Republican Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health GO.TUT.BY assured that “a set of preventive measures carried out in swimming pools in accordance with the requirements of sanitary legislation reduces the risk of disease to a minimum.”

“Pool administrations carry out water disinfection, daily and general cleaning, disinfection of the pool bath, disinfection of walkways, floors, benches, rugs, door handles, handrails and other equipment,” the institution said. — Water is disinfected by chlorination, bromination, ozonation, ultraviolet irradiation, and the results are controlled by laboratory tests. In recent years, there is no information on cases of infectious and parasitic diseases associated with the quality of water in the pool. There have also been no recorded cases of scabies infection from the use of wardrobes or shared benches.

Specialists from the Russian Center for Hygiene and Health reminded that visitors to swimming pools do not need to provide a medical certificate of health. These requirements were excluded from the Sanitary Norms and Rules by the Ministry of Health Resolution No. 105 dated September 22, 2009. And they were motivated by: “Compliance with sanitary, hygienic and anti-epidemic requirements for the operation of swimming pools by the administration of these facilities ensures reliable prevention of the spread of infectious and parasitic diseases.”

Author: Elena Kleshchenok Photo: Olga Shukaylo, Evgeny Erchak, Alexander Chuguev TUT.BY ., January 10, 2018

What is allowed during menstruation

A trip to the bathhouse with gentle visits to the steam room can be planned on the last or penultimate day of menstruation.

When the intensity of discharge is minimal and the cervix has almost narrowed to normal diameter, the risk of infection and heavy bleeding is reduced.

If a visit to the bathhouse on the first day of your period cannot be avoided, it is better not to take a steam bath, but to spend time in the dressing room with a cup of relaxing herbal tea.

Depending on the woman’s well-being and the individual characteristics of her body, during critical days some procedures can be allowed:

If, due to the physiological characteristics of a woman, her periods are not intense, painless and pass with good health, you can try going to the steam room. It is not advisable to stay inside for more than a couple of minutes; you need to carefully monitor your sensations all the time - if you feel the slightest deterioration, you should leave;
You need to steam for shorter periods of time than usual. At the same time, it is allowed to increase the number of visits. By adhering to this principle, you can gently reduce the load on the heart;
It is better to wash after the steam room under a slightly warm stream of water - this will bring relief and also will not increase the load.

Rules of intimate hygiene, video

is not responsible for the accuracy of the information presented in this video clip.
Source - JIt Zdorovo Sources:

PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF MENSTRUATION AND TAMPON USAGE IN RUSSIA. Burina D. A., Burina E. A. // Interactive science. – 2021. – No. 6. – pp. 16-17.
USE OF A MENSTRUAL CUP AS A PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCT FOR A MODERN WOMAN. Gorpenko A. A. // Problems of modern science and education. – 2021. – P. 80-83.
Internal menstrual protection. Use of a safe and sanitary menstrual cup. Liswood R. // Obstet Gynecol. - 1959. - 13: P. 539–543.
Menstrual hygiene: A neglected condition for the achievement of several millennium development goals. Ten VTA. // Europe External Policy Advisors. Oct. — 2007.
Duet or menstrual protection. Averbach S. Sahin-Hodoglugil N. Musara P. Chipato T. van der Straten A. // A feasibility study in Zimbabwe. Contraception. - 2009. - 79: P. 463–468.

Steam room precautions

While in the bathhouse, a woman should adhere to the following recommendations:

Hygiene products must be proven and reliable. For additional protection, you can use both a tampon and a pad;
Avoid drinking alcohol of any strength before, during and after leaving the bath. It puts additional stress on the heart, which is undesirable;
Do not expose yourself to severe overheating. The air temperature of the steam room should not exceed 80 degrees - this reduces the risk of heavy bleeding;
Sudden temperature changes are contraindicated. You shouldn’t jump into the pool - it’s better to leave the steam room for a dressing room or shower with warm water, and let your body gradually normalize its temperature.

There is a certain category of women for whom a sauna is even recommended by a doctor for the purpose of treatment: when problems arise with irregular menstruation and their scarcity.

One of the methods of treating such cases is to carry out certain procedures in a bathhouse, for example, a poultice of flaxseeds, oats, and salt in the lower abdomen.

If you have doubts about whether it is possible to take a steam bath during your period or whether it is better to abstain, you should consult your gynecologist.
Share your symptoms during your period with your doctor and make a rational decision together. [media=
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“You can get foot fungus if you walk barefoot on the floor.”

Photo is for illustrative purposes only.

Concerns about fungal pathology are not unfounded, says Alexander Navrotsky. Today, mycoses are a pressing problem: according to statistics, every third person after 50 years suffers from fungal infection of the feet, which is accompanied by itching and redness of the skin, discoloration and deformation of the nails. And the humid and warm environment of swimming pools is very favorable for the habitat and reproduction of pathogenic fungi.

The causative agent of mycosis of the feet can be “picked up” in areas near the pool, in showers and locker rooms, by touching your bare foot with the floor, side or other surface contaminated with fungal spores. To prevent this, you should only walk in the listed areas in rubber or plastic slippers, which should be washed frequently.

— Some visitors, in order to avoid contracting fungal diseases, use antifungal ointment. What do you say about this precaution? - I’m asking a specialist.

“To prevent fungal infections, it is enough to follow normal personal hygiene measures,” says Alexander Navrotsky. - But if someone wants to play it safe, then let them use it. After the pool, you need to rinse your feet, wipe them dry and treat them with an antifungal agent (optionally - miconazole, terbinafine, formidron solution, etc.). Particular attention should be paid to the spaces between the fingers, where the skin sweats more, creating suitable conditions for the proliferation of the pathogen.

Is it painful to have a cervical colposcopy?

Colposcopy is not accompanied by pain, since the colposcope is not inserted into the vagina. During the study, some women may feel discomfort from the cold gynecological speculum and slight tingling after treating the cervix with a solution of acetic acid.

The biopsy that may be performed during this test may cause short-term discomfort or mild pain. The painlessness of this manipulation largely depends on the skill of the doctor.

In our clinic, the colposcopy procedure is performed only by experienced gynecologists and patients do not experience pain.

Why is cervical colposcopy performed?

The main purpose of colposcopy is aimed at determining the boundaries, malignancy or benignity of the pathological focus. During the research process the following can be determined:

border of pathology;
differentiation of the tumor process;
identification of the inflammatory process;
the need to perform a tissue biopsy from the pathological focus;
exact area of tissue for biopsy.

After analyzing all the data obtained, the results of colposcopy allow the doctor to draw up a plan for further effective treatment.

Sleep and rest

Getting a good night's sleep is very important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Poor sleep leads to headaches, deterioration of memory, attention, and disruption of mental processes. Lack of sleep can lead to the development of depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. In addition, insufficient sleep can cause hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities, and difficulties in conceiving a child. Sleep is necessary for a person to restore strength and relax. It is during sleep that the biochemical processes of restoration and accumulation of wasted energy resources, the synthesis of a number of hormones and other biologically active substances are activated. It is important for future parents to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night in a well-ventilated area. It is advisable to go to bed no later than 10 pm. If possible, it would be a good idea to avoid working at night.

Increased salt intake is one of the reasons

Salt (sodium chloride) is vital for the normal functioning of the entire body. Salt components (in particular, chloride ions) are the main component of hydrochloric acid, produced by the parietal cells of the stomach and necessary for normal digestion of food. Salt also ensures the functioning of the nervous system by participating in the transmission of nerve impulses and helps improve the nutrition of muscle tissue.

Table salt should not be consumed in large quantities, as it causes fluid retention in the body.

During menstruation, fluid can accumulate in the subcutaneous fatty tissue of the pelvic organs, and increased consumption of salty, smoked and pickled foods can increase tissue swelling and cause acute or aching pain in the lumbar and tailbone areas.

Colposcopy of the uterus

Colposcopy of the uterus is a diagnostic procedure that is performed using a colposcope (a special optical instrument with a lighting device) and is aimed at examining the walls of the vagina and the visible vaginal part of the cervix.
During the examination, the doctor may:

perform a biopsy of certain areas of the cervix for subsequent histological analysis;
collect the necessary material for subsequent laboratory diagnostics of bacteriological and cytological smears;
enlarge the image 2, 5, 7, 10, 15 or more times for a more detailed study of the structure of tissues.

In our clinic, this diagnostic procedure is performed using an expert-class colposcope. Its results will allow the doctor to identify pathology at the initial stage of its development, draw up a detailed picture of the disease and prescribe an effective course of treatment.

How compatible are bathhouses and menstruation? How to visit a steam room without health risks