Short answer
No. A sauna usually makes nausea worse. Heat, humidity and fluid loss can bring it on or deepen it, and feeling sick in the heat is one of the NHS warning signs of heat exhaustion. If you already feel queasy, skip the session. If it starts inside, get out, cool down and sip a cold drink.
Sauna has a reputation for helping with all sorts of things, so it is fair to ask whether it can settle a queasy stomach. It cannot. Heat is more likely to make you feel sick than to help. Here is why, what can cause nausea in the sauna, and what to do instead.
Can a sauna help with nausea?
No. When you sit in a hot room, your heart rate rises and, as Harvard Health explains, most of the extra blood flow goes to the skin to shed heat. That extra strain is the opposite of what an upset stomach needs. The NHS lists feeling sick or being sick among the symptoms of heat exhaustion, alongside dizziness, headache, heavy sweating and pale, clammy skin.
Humid heat is the hardest on you. In a steam room the air is already close to saturated, so sweat cannot evaporate well and your body has more trouble cooling down.
Why you might feel sick in the sauna
Nausea that starts in or right after a sauna usually has a simple cause. The common ones are:
- Getting too hot, either because the room is very hot or because you stayed in too long.
- Not drinking enough before the session, so sweating leaves you short of fluid.
- Going in on an empty stomach, or straight after a large meal.
- Drinking alcohol before or during the session, which Harvard Health advises against.
- Already being unwell, for example with a stomach bug.
Nausea in the heat often comes with dizziness, weakness or muscle cramps. Our guide to feeling dizzy, weak or crampy after the sauna covers those symptoms, and sauna before or after eating explains how to time a meal.
What to do if you feel sick in the sauna
- Get out straight away. Do not try to finish the round.
- Sit or lie down somewhere cool, ideally with fresh air.
- Take regular small sips of a cold drink rather than gulping.
- Cool your skin with a cool (not icy) shower or a damp cloth.
- Do not go back in that day.
According to the NHS, someone with heat exhaustion should start to feel better within 30 minutes of cooling down and drinking. If they do not, treat it as heatstroke and call emergency services.
Other common causes of nausea
Nausea is not always about the heat. Cleveland Clinic lists many causes, including stomach flu, motion sickness or vertigo, migraines, pregnancy, severe pain, and stress and anxiety. If you often feel sick, or it keeps coming back, the NHS suggests seeing a GP, who can look for the cause.
What helps nausea instead
For ordinary queasiness, the NHS suggests:
- Getting plenty of fresh air.
- Distracting yourself, for example with music or a film.
- Taking regular sips of a cold drink.
- Ginger or peppermint tea, or foods with ginger.
- Eating smaller, more frequent meals.
- Avoiding strong-smelling, hot, fried or greasy food, and not eating too quickly.
Anti-sickness medicine is something to discuss with a pharmacist or doctor, not a reason to go back into the heat.
Infrared sauna, traditional sauna and steam room
Infrared saunas run cooler air than traditional saunas. Cleveland Clinic gives about 110–135°F for infrared and 150–195°F for traditional saunas. Infrared heat still raises your body temperature, though, so it is not a gentler way to sit out nausea. Steam rooms are cooler on the thermometer but the humid air makes cooling down harder. Whichever type you use, the advice is the same: if you feel sick, stay out until you are well.
Once you feel better, ease back in with a shorter, cooler session. Our sauna tips and guide to sauna temperatures help you start gently, and what to eat and drink after the sauna covers refuelling.
When to get medical help
Call emergency services if someone is still unwell after 30 minutes of resting somewhere cool and drinking, or has a very high temperature, hot skin without sweating, fast breathing, confusion, a seizure or loses consciousness. These are NHS signs of heatstroke. The NHS also says to call an ambulance if you suddenly feel sick and have tight or heavy chest pain, pain spreading to your arms, back, neck or jaw, or shortness of breath.
Frequently asked questions
Is sauna good for nausea?
No. Heat tends to make nausea worse, and the NHS lists feeling sick as a symptom of heat exhaustion. If you already feel sick, wait until you are fully well before going back in.
Why do I feel sick in the sauna?
Common reasons are getting too hot, staying in too long, not drinking enough beforehand, or going in on an empty stomach or straight after a big meal. Feeling sick together with dizziness, headache or heavy sweating can mean heat exhaustion.
What should I do if I feel nauseous in the sauna?
Leave straight away, sit or lie down somewhere cool, and take regular sips of a cold drink. The NHS says people with heat exhaustion should start to feel better within 30 minutes of cooling down.
Is an infrared sauna better if I feel sick?
Infrared saunas run cooler air, about 110–135°F according to Cleveland Clinic, but they still heat your body. That does not make them a remedy. If you feel sick, skip any heat session until you are well.
Can I use a steam room when I feel nauseous?
It is best not to. Very humid air makes it harder for sweat to evaporate, so your body has more trouble shedding heat, which can make queasiness worse.
When is nausea after a sauna an emergency?
Call emergency services if you are still unwell after 30 minutes of cooling down and drinking, or if there is confusion, a very high temperature, hot skin without sweating, a seizure or loss of consciousness. Sudden sickness with tight chest pain or shortness of breath also needs an ambulance.
This article is general information, not medical advice.