Does a Sauna Help a Cold? Doctors & Science Say Yes

Sauna Dekor Spa Solutions engineering team, Istanbul

Last updated: 6 November 2026

A sauna is a timber room heated to 80–100 °C with dry air, where people sit for short sessions and then cool down. Whether it helps a cold depends on the stage of the illness: this guide covers when people choose to skip a session, which temperatures and room types they use, and why a sauna session is not advised when you have a fever.

Clients ask us every autumn whether they should use their sauna when a cold starts. A sauna is a heated room, not a medical treatment, and we make no medical claim for it. A small Austrian study published in Annals of Medicine in 1990 looked at sauna bathing and reported colds (Ernst et al., 1990); it had 50 participants and does not show that a sauna prevents or treats a cold.

If you have ever stood in front of your sauna with a sniffle and wondered, does a sauna help a cold or make it worse, the honest answer is “it depends on the stage of the illness.” The studies that exist are small or observational and do not establish a medical effect; what is clear are the situations in which a session should be skipped. This guide keeps to those practical points: when to skip, which temperature, how long, and how much to drink.

As a manufacturer that has installed saunas in 40 years of residential, hotel, and clinical wellness projects, our team is asked this question almost weekly during the autumn and winter months. Below, we walk through what the published studies measured and what they did not, when a short session is reasonable, when to skip it, the safety rules to follow, and what a normal household routine looks like. If you are unwell, your doctor is the right person to ask. Considering a sauna for your home wellness routine? Explore our custom sauna range or request a free consultation with our design team.

The research does not show that a sauna helps a cold. A few small or observational studies have looked at sauna bathing and reported colds, but they cannot show cause and effect, and none tested a sauna as a treatment. A sauna does not shorten a cold. If you have a fever, skip the session; with a mild cold and no fever, a short, cooler session is a matter of personal comfort.

What did the famous Ernst study find?

The 1990 Ernst trial randomised 50 participants to either regular sauna bathing twice weekly or a no-sauna control group, then tracked common-cold incidence for six months. The authors reported a difference in the second three-month period (Ernst et al., 1990). With 50 people and self-reported colds, the study is too small to support a medical conclusion, and it has not been followed by a larger trial of the same design.

How robust is the more recent evidence?

A large Finnish prospective cohort study followed 1,935 men for an average of 25.6 years and compared respiratory diagnoses between groups with different sauna habits (Kunutsor, Laukkanen & Laukkanen, 2017, European Journal of Epidemiology). It is an observational study: frequent sauna users in Finland may differ from others in many ways, so it cannot show that the sauna itself made any difference, and it did not study colds or people who were already ill.

Some people choose a short, cooler session at the very early “scratchy throat” stage, with no fever, or once they are well again. That is a comfort choice, not a treatment. If you have a fever, body aches, or a chest infection, the answer is no: skip the sauna and rest until those signs resolve.

Which cold symptoms do users ask about most?

The questions we hear most are about a blocked nose, a heavy head and stiff muscles. Warm, humid air feels pleasant to many people with a blocked nose, but feeling pleasant is not the same as a treatment. A 2017 Cochrane review of heated, humidified air for the common cold found no clear benefit or harm and did not recommend it as a treatment (Singh et al., 2017).

Should you choose dry or humid heat for cold symptoms?

This is a question of comfort. A steam room or a Bio Sauna running at 50 °C with 40–55 % humidity is a milder room than a 90 °C Finnish sauna, and many people with a blocked nose find the softer, humid air easier to breathe in. If you prefer a traditional Finnish sauna, keep it at the lower end (60–70 °C), and only when you have no fever.

Why early-stage timing matters

Timing matters because a sauna raises body temperature for a short time and adds load to the heart and circulation. At the “scratchy throat” stage with no fever, a short, cooler session is a personal choice. Once a cold is fully established with fever, fatigue, or chest involvement, that extra heat load is a reason to stay out of the room and rest.

Avoid the sauna entirely if you have a fever above 37.5 °C (99.5 °F), chest infection, productive cough, gastrointestinal illness, or any rapid heart rate, dizziness, or shortness of breath. The same exclusions apply in wet heat — see who should not use a steam room. Sauna use during fever raises core temperature further, accelerates dehydration, and stresses an already stressed cardiovascular system. The same caution applies to the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with cardiovascular disease.

Why fever and sauna are a dangerous combination

A normal Finnish sauna session raises core body temperature by 0.5–1.5 °C (Hannuksela & Ellahham, 2001, American Journal of Medicine). Adding that to an already fever-elevated baseline can push core temperature into hyperthermia territory. Heart rate climbs by 60–70 beats per minute during sauna use, which compounds the cardiovascular load of fighting infection.

Which medical conditions are absolute contraindications?

Skip the sauna entirely during illness if you have any of the following:

• Fever or recent fever within 24 hours
• Chest infection, bronchitis, or pneumonia symptoms
• Active gastrointestinal illness (vomiting or diarrhoea)
• Diagnosed cardiovascular disease without medical clearance
• Pregnancy, particularly first trimester
• Recent heart attack, stroke, or unstable angina
• An uncontrolled or flaring breathing condition
• Any infection with chills, sweats, or rapid heart rate

What about the day after a cold ends?

Once your cold symptoms have resolved for at least 48 hours and your temperature is normal, a short, mild sauna session can be a comfortable way to ease residual stiffness. Start with 8–10 minutes at lower temperature, hydrate well, and skip the cold plunge. Build back to your usual routine over several sessions rather than jumping straight in.

Building a sauna for your home wellness routine? Our team designs cabins with the room size, heater, bench heights and ventilation matched to how your household will use them. Request a free consultation and we will help you design a private wellness suite you will use for decades.

The research here is limited and small-scale. What it records is short-lived: a temporary change in white blood cell counts after a session (Pilch et al., 2014, Journal of Human Kinetics). None of it has been shown to change how often people get ill, and we make no health claim from it.

What happens to white blood cells during a sauna session?

The 2014 Pilch study measured white blood cell profiles in 20 healthy male participants before and after a single 30-minute Finnish sauna session at 90 °C. Blood counts changed for a short time after the session and differed between athletes and non-athletes. A temporary change in a blood test after exercise or heat is common and does not by itself mean any benefit; the study did not look at colds.

How does heat exposure affect inflammation?

A 2018 review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings summarised observational studies that compared blood markers such as C-reactive protein between people with different sauna habits (Laukkanen et al., 2018). An association in observational data does not show cause, and none of these studies tested a sauna as a treatment for a cold.

What does the respiratory research actually measure?

The Kunutsor 2017 cohort recorded sauna habits once and then followed hospital diagnoses over many years. It measured an association between habit and later diagnoses, not the effect of a sauna session on someone who is ill. Explanations offered in such papers are hypotheses, not findings, and the study does not tell you whether to use a sauna with a cold.

What does this look like in practice?

In practice, sauna use at home is a household routine rather than a single session: typically two or three evening sessions a week through the cold season, at a temperature every member of the family will actually tolerate, which for children usually means a lower bench and a shorter stay. It is a habit people enjoy, not a remedy for an infection.

The core safety rule is simple: if you have a fever, infection symptoms below the neck, or any cardiovascular concern, skip the sauna. If you are using a sauna at the early or recovery stage of a mild cold, limit sessions to 10–15 minutes, hydrate with at least 500 ml of water before and after, avoid alcohol, and do not combine with cold plunge or contrast therapy. Listen to your body and exit early if you feel unwell.

How long should sessions be when you are slightly under the weather?

A short 8–12 minute session at moderate temperature (60–75 °C for Finnish, 50 °C for Bio Sauna or infrared cabin) is enough at the early stage of a cold or in recovery. Skip the second round and the cold plunge. Save the longer 15–20 minute high-heat sessions for when you are fully well.

What about hydration and electrolytes?

Sauna sessions cause significant fluid loss, typically 300–800 ml of sweat per session. When you are unwell, dehydration risk is already higher. Drink water before entering, sip during longer sessions, and replenish 500–1,000 ml after exiting. For longer sessions or hot climates, consider a small electrolyte addition; plain water is fine for shorter sessions.

What signs mean you should leave immediately?

Exit the sauna at the first sign of:

• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Rapid or irregular heart rate
• Nausea or stomach discomfort
• Chest tightness or shortness of breath
• Headache that worsens during the session
• Tingling or numbness in the limbs
• Any feeling that “this isn’t right”

There is no medical frequency to aim for. Home sauna owners we work with typically use the room two to four times a week in the cooler months, and some daily. For a healthy adult, frequency is a matter of habit and comfort; when you are ill, the rule is simpler: skip the session if you have a fever, and ask your doctor if you have a heart or breathing condition.

What does a typical weekly routine look like?

A typical routine for a healthy adult might look like this:

• Two evening sessions per week of 15–20 minutes at 75–90 °C
• One morning or post-exercise session of 10–15 minutes
• Optional fourth session at the weekend, longer if desired
• Adequate hydration and at least one rest day between intense sessions
• Skip if you are travelling fatigued, sleeping poorly, or unwell

Does the type of sauna matter?

Most of the published studies were done in traditional Finnish saunas; there is very little on infrared cabins or Bio Saunas, so no type can be said to be better for a cold. The practical difference is the room: a Finnish sauna runs at 70–90 °C with low humidity, an infrared cabin warms the body at a lower air temperature, and a Bio Sauna offers a middle ground at 50–65 °C with humidity, which suits people who find Finnish heat too intense.

How long did the studies run?

The Ernst study ran for six months with 50 participants; the Finnish cohorts followed men for more than 20 years using one record of their sauna habits. Neither design can tell you what a few weeks of sauna use will do for a cold, and we do not promise any health outcome. What matters for a home sauna is a routine you will keep and a room built for it.

A sauna is not a treatment for a cold. With a mild cold and no fever, a short, cooler session is a personal comfort choice. Skip the sauna entirely if you have fever, chest involvement, or any below-the-neck symptoms, and ask your doctor if you are unsure. The published studies are small or observational and do not support a medical claim either way.

If you are designing a sauna for your home, plan it around how you will use it: room size, heater output, bench heights, ventilation and a cool-down area. In 40 years of installations in private homes and hotels, our team has seen that the rooms used most are the ones that fit the household’s weekly routine.

Ready to design a sauna for your home? Our manufacturer-direct team handles design, manufacturing, delivery, and installation worldwide. Request a free consultation and we will help you specify a Finnish, infrared, or Bio Sauna that fits your home, your budget, and the way you will use it.