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The best shower temperature for your health

There are health benefits to take very hot or very cold showers, depending on your state of health and your objectives, but most experts recommend using lukewarm water between 96.8 and 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit (F).

Jump at the main dishes to remember.

1. When you are sick

When you are sick, lukewarm water showers or baths no warmer than 105.8 degrees F are ideal. Hot water helps you relax and rest, which helps fight fever.

Many people take cold showers or baths to treat or help “break” a fever. Although taking a cold shower or an ice bath may seem a natural way to cool off, it may not help. When you are cold, your body shivers as it works to warm you, which can increase body temperature and stress the immune system.

2. With a sunburn

Bathing or showering in cold water or applying cold compresses can help soothing a sunburn.

When you have a sunburn, redness and tingling are caused by inflammation (an immune response) in the skin damaged by light. Hot showers can worsen symptoms and irritate your skin when it heals.

3. For healthy skin

Hot water (greater than 106 degrees) can disrupt the natural skin barrier, oils that help preserve humidity. Hot showers or baths can dry the skin and worsen affections like eczema (atopic dermatitis).

Some studies suggest that cold water has no impact on the skin barrier in the same way. Cold water can decrease inflammation by forcing blood vessels. It can also temporarily close and tighten pores.

4. For shiny hair

Hair has a protective barrier that preserves humidity, just like the skin. Some research shows that water at higher temperatures has led to greater “water loss” in skin and hair.

If you take very hot showers too often, your hair can become dry, frizzy and lose its shine. Experts recommend a beach of fresh temperatures at Lach-Time (but not hot) when washing your hair.

5. To relieve bad muscles

There are several reasons why athletes dip in cold or icy water after competition. The advantages may include:

  • To facilitate muscle pain and stiffness
  • To promote faster recovery
  • To reduce muscle damage
  • To increase performance after recovery

A review of 20 studies revealed that cold water immersion (CWI) has lowered creatine kinase (an enzyme in muscle cells; increased levels of this blood enzyme can indicate muscle damage) and lactic acid, a chemical produced in muscle cells when the body needs energy faster than oxygen can be supplied.

6. For a headache

Anecdotal evidence suggests that a hot shower can also help relieve headaches. Some headaches are linked to muscle tension and can be triggered by stress.

Hot showers or baths promote relaxation. As part of a broader approach to the processing of headache, they can help alleviate symptoms and prevent future headache.

How to know if your water is the right temperature

Sign that he is too hot

Very hot water can increase the inflammation of certain skin conditions and irritate and dry your skin. If you have some health problems, there may also be other physical symptoms of too much heat. The search panels include:

  • Discoloration: The main sign of your shower or bath is too hot is a change in skin color.
  • Itching: Hot water affects the skin barrier and can trigger skin cells to release histamines, which causes itching.
  • Bosses, blisters and coat: Very hot water can escape the skin and cause changes in skin texture, skin color changes and pain
  • Urticaria: Heat and hot water can also trigger hives, especially in those with chronic cases.
  • Mélasma: A skin condition in which the cells that make up the skin color are too produced. This causes brown or blue skin plates. Hot showers can make melasma patches darker and more visible.
  • Dizziness: A hot shower expands (opens) your blood vessels, causing changes in blood pressure and increasing the amount of blood that your heart pumps. This can cause dizziness if you have problems with heart disease or blood circulation, and a sudden significant change in blood pressure in a person with underlying medical conditions may increase the risk of a stroke.

Sign that it is too cold

Very cold water can shock the system, leading to negative effects if you are too cooling. Some signs that you should increase heat include:

  • Trembling: When you shiver, your body works to warm up after a significant drop in temperature.
  • Breathing difficulties: The shock of the sudden exposure to cold water can cause episodes of whistling, panting and rapid breathing (hyperventilation).
  • Blue skin or lips: The skin becoming blue on the fingers, the face, the lips or the toes is a sign that the cold had an impact on your blood circulation.
  • Numbness: Losing the feeling in your hands and feet of blood circulation changes is another sign that your shower or bath is too cold.
  • Heart symptoms: Like hot water, cold water can increase blood pressure and heart rate, increasing the risk of stroke or other heart conditions, mainly in people with underlying medical conditions.
  • Fatigue and weakness: Being in cold water for too long can also cause muscle weakness, fatigue or drowsiness. Some lose coordination of the body.
  • Confusion: As the body temperature drops, you may have trouble thinking clearly, remember or speak.

Main to remember

  • Most health care providers recommend that they shower in lukewarm water between 96.8 and 105.8 degrees.
  • Shower both hot and cold water has advantages and disadvantages; What suits you best depends on your lifestyle, your medical history and your health goals.
Very well health uses only high -quality sources, including studies evaluated by peers, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to find out more about how we check the facts and keep our content precise, reliable and trustworthy.
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By Mark Gurarie

Gurarie is a writer and publisher. He is an auxiliary speaker of the writing composition at George Washington University.

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