People around the world have been using steam in the form of steam baths for thousands of years to promote good health and well-being. Many people use steam therapy as a part of their normal health routine. Another term for steam is hyperthermia.
Hippocrates was the first strong advocate of the healing powers of steam. He said, “Give me the power to create a fever and I shall cure any disease.” This view on steam therapy has traveled from ancient time to today, where it is still widely used and accepted.
Benefits of Steam
Some of the known health benefits of steam include:
- Detoxification of the body
- Easier breathing
- Stress relief
- Muscle aches and pains
- Increased circulation
- Cleansing of the skin
- Boosted immune system
Steam is an excellent way to open the pores and release toxins built up in the body. Heat naturally speeds up the body’s processes. As the pores open and numerous sweat glands start to excrete, the body rids itself of toxic waste products that have built up over time. Western medical studies have shown that hyperthermia (steam) is an effective detoxification program for eliminating fat-stored toxins from the body.
Steam heat therapy can help such ailments as arthritis, gout, and Tendinitis. Steam even improves cardiovascular health. Steam treatments stimulate the body’s cardiovascular system. Within 15-20 minutes of steam exposure, the heart’s pulse rate can increase from 75 to between 100 and 150 beats per minute. This gives your heart and arteries a healthy workout.
Steam therapy is very beneficial to the skin on our faces as well. Steam helps to keep the skin from becoming dehydrated. The hyperthermia therapy is an easy way to reduce the existence of many common skin conditions. Some that are easily alleviated with the use of steam include:
How to Perform Steam Therapy
Whether you sit in a steam room or perform facial steaming, either will ultimately be beneficial to your health and well being. Facial steaming should be performed for no longer than 10 minutes at a time.
This can be performed at home by boiling a pot of water, placing a large towel over your head and placing your head over the pot while using the towel to trap the steam in. Inhale the vapors of the steam. The benefits of aromatherapy can be combined with this process by adding a few drops of essential oil of Eucalyptus and Pine to the boiling water. This will enhance the healing effect of the steam.
This therapy will not only cleanse and refine the skin on the face. It will also act as a natural decongestant for the nose and lungs. This treatment is especially beneficial when suffering from any sort of sickness.
Steam rooms are a great way to steam the whole body at once. As with facial steaming, avoid any extended periods of time in the steam. More is not always better. Start steaming your body on a regular basis and you will notice the results. If you do not have access to a steam room, taking a hot bath will do the trick too.
Steaming is great way to keep the health and vitality of your entire body. Treat your body well and it will do wonderful things.
Thank you for reading!
This article is compliments of Dherbs.com
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
