Health Concerns

• Saunas can cause heat exhaustion and dehydration if someone sits in the sauna for too long. After drinking alcohol, users are more likely to experience dehydration. Heat exhaustion carries symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, nausea and a headache. When you experience heat exhaustion, move to a cooler place. Anyone prone to heat exhaustion should not use saunas.
  
  

Dehydration

• Sweating can cause you to lose electrolytes, so you should drink water or specialized drinks that replace electrolytes, such as sports drinks, before, during and after using the sauna.
  
  

Incompatibility with Some Conditions

• Saunas can interfere with the body's ability to absorb some medications. The heat sauna can also negatively effect implants, causing pain at the site of an implant. Consult with your physician before using a heat sauna. Do not use a sauna if you've suffered a stroke, brain tumor, heart attack, angina pectoris or aortic stenosis. Also avoid using saunas if you have a blood disorder.
  
  

Burns

• The hot rocks and heater in a sauna can accidentally burn anyone who gets too close to them. Make sure you know where the heater is and avoid getting too close. When exposed to sauna heat, you will experience reddened skin similar to that of coming from a hot shower, but the reddened skin is not harmful. Leave the sauna if you feel pain or discomfort that is out of the ordinary.
  
  

Respiratory Problems

• Sauna air is dry enough that some individuals might develop respiratory problems, such as coughing. People with post-nasal drip or bronchitis often need moist air to break up phlegm in the lungs, and saunas can have the opposite effect, leading to a dry and possibly painful cough.
  
  

Consumption

• Saunas require electricity to heat up the hot stones or the heater, which can increase the electricity bill. However, sauna aficionados usually do not use them for longer than 20 minutes, so the impact on the energy bill is small. Also, sauna users must rinse off with cool water after the sauna to lower their body temperatures.
  
  

Ventilation

• Saunas must have locations where they release excess heat so they do not increase the overall temperature of the home. Outdoor saunas are easier to ventilate than indoor saunas. Also, with indoor saunas, the sauna must have some insulation to keep it from heating up the rest of the house, especially during the summer when the air conditioner works hard to lower the temperature.