If you are on medication or have
any physical problems, you should always consult your physician.
Prescription Drugs:
If you are using prescription
drugs, check with your physician or pharmacist for possible changes in the
drug's effect due to an interaction with infrared energy.
Certain Ailments:
According to some authorities,
it is considered inadvisable to raise the core temperature of someone with
adrenal suppression, systemic lupus erythematosus, or multiple sclerosis.
Joint Problems:
If a person has a recent (acute)
joint injury, it should not be heated for the first 48 hours or until the hot
and swollen symptoms subside. Joints that are chronically hot and swollen may
respond poorly to vigorous heating of any kind. Vigorous heating is strictly
contraindicated in cases of enclosed infections be they dental, in joints, or
in any other tissues.
Pregnancy:
In pregnancy or the suspicion of
pregnancy, discontinuation of sauna use is recommended. Finnish women use
traditional saunas that don't heat the body as deeply as an infrared sauna for
only six to twelve minutes and reportedly leave at that time due to perceived
discomfort. Their usage of traditional saunas at this low level of intensity is
not linked to birth defects. Infrared sauna use may be two to three times more
intense due to deep tissue penetration, and comparatively shorter two to six
minute sessions hardly seem worth any minimal risk they may present.
Surgical Implants:
Metal pins, rods, artificial
joints, or any other surgical implants generally reflect infrared rays and are
not heated by an infrared heat system. Nevertheless, a person should consult
his or her surgeon before receiving such therapy. Certainly infrared therapy
must be discontinued if a person experiences pain near any implants.
Silicone:
Silicone does absorb infrared
energy. Implanted silicone or silicone prostheses for nose or ear replacement
may be warmed by infrared rays. Since silicone melts at over 200 degrees
Celsius, it should not be adversely effected by an infrared heat system.
However, it is still advised that a person checks with his or her surgeon, and
possibly a representative of the product manufacturer, to be certain.
Menstruation:
Heating of the low-back area of
women during the menstrual period may temporarily increase menstrual flow. Once
a woman is aware that this is occurring, she can choose to allow herself to
experience this short-term effect without worry. Or she may simply avoid using
an infrared heat source at that time in her cycle.
Hemorrhage:
Hemophiliacs and anyone
predisposed to hemorrhage should avoid infrared usage or any type of heating
that would induce vasodilation that can lead to the tendency to bleed.
Worsened Condition:
Should any condition worsen with
the use of an infrared heat system, the use of the system should be
discontinued.
Pain:
Pain should not be experienced
when using an infrared heat system. If one does, the use of radiant heat is
clearly inappropriate for the person at that time.
