Is an Infrared Sauna Good for a Cold?
Written by: Joel Gottehrer

Is an Infrared Sauna Good for a Cold?

If you currently have a cough or the sniffles, get respiratory infections often, or are just looking ahead to cold and flu season, you might be wondering about potential remedies or prevention measures. 

So, is an infrared sauna good for a cold? It can be. If used safely, an infrared sauna might help with some cold symptoms and possibly prevent you from developing sinus infections. But it's more of a supportive solution—not a cure—and isn't recommended if you have a fever or severe symptoms.1

Let's explore how infrared saunas work, how they can help relieve congestion and promote relaxation during a mild cold, when to avoid saunas, and safety tips to keep in mind.

How Infrared Saunas Work

Infrared saunas use special lamps to emit light at wavelengths that can penetrate the skin and warm the body from the outside in. Unlike traditional Finnish saunas, this type doesn't heat the air inside the chamber directly, so it doesn't need to get as hot and can be more comfortable to sit in.2 Learn more in our blog about traditional vs infrared saunas.

Deep-Tissue Heating

A far-infrared (FIR) sauna has longer wavelengths to penetrate deeper, reaching below the skin. The radiant heat can warm bodily tissues directly to lower inflammation and increase circulation. These effects can promote healing and support recovery from minor ailments.3

If you’re researching the types of infrared saunas, you’ll often see near vs far infrared saunas, each offering unique benefits depending on how deeply they penetrate the body.

Circulation & Immune Response

With a boost in blood flow throughout the body, infrared heat can help oxygen and nutrients get where they need to go. Theoretically, this might stimulate an immune response to help fight viral infections or stave off allergic rhinitis (hay fever, or nasal allergies).4


Potential Benefits for Mild Cold Symptoms 

Here's how a short infrared sauna session might help with mild cold symptoms:

  • Congestion relief – The heat emitted from an infrared sauna may temporarily widen blood vessels, which could help open nasal passages and ease sinus pressure if you have a stuffy nose.5
  • Relaxed muscles – Though sauna use isn't recommended if you're running a fever, the gentle warmth can help relax tight muscles, reduce soreness, and alleviate body aches.6
  • Overall recovery feel – The sweating and circulation boost you get from a sauna session can leave you feeling looser and more relaxed. Sauna use might also temporarily help with a scratchy throat.1

Think of sauna use as comfort-focused relief. Similar to taking a hot bath, it's not a cure or treatment but rather a way to relax and take it easy when energy is low.

Evidence at a Glance 

Let's look at what the research says about using a sauna when you have a mild cold or allergy symptoms.

Prevention Signal

Infrared sauna use might help prevent the common cold. In clinical observations, people who use them regularly get fewer colds.5 Meanwhile, very cold, dry climates can have the opposite effect, creating the perfect environment for respiratory infections to spread.7

Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow

Sauna use has also been shown to increase peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIS). This is how much airflow you can inhale through your nose, which, as you know, is often obstructed by mucus when you're congested with a cold.8

Not a Cure or Treatment

Though short infrared sauna sessions might help alleviate some cold symptoms—at least temporarily—it's not considered a treatment, let alone a cure. The benefits from infrared saunas are mostly supportive, offering comfort and possibly promoting recovery.

Woman_using_sauna

When to Avoid Infrared Saunas   

Don't use a sauna if you're experiencing:

  • A fever – When your internal temperature is already raised from a fever, you want to work on lowering it, not elevating it with heat exposure.
  • Severe respiratory symptoms – Heat stress could worsen an illness or lead to dehydration if you're not careful. Skip the sauna if your cold symptoms are more than mild.
  • Dizziness, weakness, or trouble breathing – Don't get in a sauna if you're dizzy, feeling weak, or having trouble catching your breath. Instead, hydrate, rest, and seek medical advice.

Learn more about who shouldn’t use infrared saunas in our blog.

Sauna Safe-Use Guidelines During a Mild Cold

Here's how to stay safe when using a sauna if you have a mild cold:

  • Be mindful of time and temperature – Keep your sessions short (10 to 15 minutes, max), and use a lower temperature setting, around 100 to 120 °F (or 38 to 49 °C).
  • Hydrate before, during, and after – Drink plenty of water to ensure you don't become dehydrated. If you feel lightheaded or excessively thirsty, get out of the sauna.9
  • Use a home sauna when sick – Avoid public facilities like gyms or spas to avoid spreading the sickness. A home sauna is best in that case.

If you’re wondering how often you should use an infrared sauna, the answer depends on your health and comfort level—many people start with a few sessions per week and increase gradually if tolerated.

Woman_using_sauna

Infrared Saunas from Lifepro Fitness

Consider getting a sauna for your home. That way, you can do restorative sessions any time, at your leisure, without worrying about crowds or spreading germs. When you check out the personal saunas from Lifepro, you might be pleasantly surprised to see they're more accessibly priced than you thought.

Our premium-quality, user-friendly, far-infrared dry cabins emit gentle warmth at comfortable temperatures while still penetrating deeply enough to offer full-body benefits. We also carry sauna blankets for those who want on-the-go convenience.

See our sauna blanket vs sauna comparison for a closer look at the two options.

 

Sources:

  1. Medical Journal of Australia. Visiting a sauna: does inhaling hot dry air reduce common cold symptoms? A randomised controlled trial. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7168476/
  2. Cleveland Clinic. Infrared Saunas: What They Do and 6 Health Benefits. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/infrared-sauna-benefits
  3. Massachusetts General Hospital. Infrared Saunas and Cold Plunges: Is Everything Old New Again?. https://www.massgeneral.org/news/article/infrared-saunas-and-cold-plunges
  4. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). Clinical effects of far-infrared therapy in patients with allergic rhinitis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18002246/
  5. Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology. The effect of six-weeks of sauna on treatment autonomic nervous system, peak nasal inspiratory flow and lung functions of allergic rhinitis Thai patients. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249965275_The_effect_of_six-weeks_of_sauna_on_treatment_autonomic_nervous_system_peak_nasal_inspiratory_flow_and_lung_functions_of_allergic_rhinitis_Thai_patients
  6. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/s0025-6196(18)30275-1/fulltext
  7. Temperature: Multidisciplinary Biomedical Journal. The multifaceted benefits of passive heat therapies for extending the healthspan: A comprehensive review with a focus on Finnish sauna. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10989710/
  8. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2018/1857413
  9. American Journal of Medicine. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12163683_Benefits_and_risks_of_sauna_bathing
Joel Gottehrer

AUTHOR

Joel Gottehrer

Joel Gottehrer is the Co-Founder of Lifepro Fitness and has dedicated his life to helping people transform theirs. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and owner of two personal training studios, Joel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping transform lives. After suffering from physical injuries, Joel and his business partner, Abraham Brach, came together with a common goal to alleviate the pain caused by their injuries.

They continued to find themselves disappointed with the results stemming from various products promising to relieve their pain, and with that – Lifepro Fitness was born. Joel's mission is to have a positive impact on millions of lives with the Lifepro brand. Whether it's finding new and innovative ways to help people recover from injuries or developing products to improve overall wellness, Joel is always looking for ways to push the boundaries. Thanks to his commitment to help people live their lives free of pain, Lifepro has been able to do this for thousands of people since its founding in 2017.