A rare case of heatstroke highlights the hidden dangers of saunas

A trip to the sauna can be incredibly relaxing, just make sure to stay hydrated. And in a new report this week, doctors warn of the potential danger of not following this advice: a rare but life-threatening condition of heatstroke.

Doctors in the UK have detailed the unusual incident, involving a woman in her 70s, who was found unconscious from heatstroke in her local gym’s sauna. Although the woman was hospitalized for nearly two weeks as a result, she eventually recovered. But the cautionary tale highlights the importance of regular hydration during sauna days.

According to the paper, published Tuesday in BMJ Case ReportsThe woman was an avid sauna goer and had never had any previous problems. But on that fateful day, she was found unconscious in the sauna at her local gym after 45 minutes of stretching. Due to her dangerously high body temperature, she was rushed to the emergency room, where she was quickly cooled using wet towels and fans, as well as given intravenous fluids and blood products.

The woman suffered an epileptic seizure shortly after her visit to the hospital, and tests revealed that she had also suffered a minor heart attack and damage to her kidneys and other organs. But two hours after her temperature stabilized, she began to regain consciousness. By day three, she was no longer confused or drowsy, and had recovered well enough to be discharged 12 days after her first hospitalization. A month after her heatstroke, she had almost completely recovered, except for some mild fatigue and liver damage.

The woman had a history of type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism, but exercised regularly and avoided smoking and heavy drinking. Her doctors say she was not particularly at risk of heatstroke due to the hot conditions. Although rare, saunas have been known to cause cases of heat stroke in low-risk people.

“Sauna use is a rare but potentially important cause of classic heatstroke in patients who have few risk factors for the disease,” the doctors wrote.

How rare? Well, doctors looked at the medical literature and found only nine other reported cases of sauna-related heatstroke. In this case, the patient herself believes that her lack of water sealed her fate.

“As a regular sauna user, I’ve never had any problems, and upon reflection, I guess I just didn’t drink enough water,” the woman wrote from an accompanying perspective.

The most important aspect of treating heatstroke is time, as quickly cooling a person within thirty minutes is very effective in reducing organ damage caused by the condition, according to doctors. So, in addition to reminding people to stay hydrated, the woman also hopes that companies that own saunas will do their due diligence in monitoring their customers in a timely manner.

“My experience has confirmed the dangers of sauna baths and how important it is to be fully hydrated when entering the sauna and to be checked regularly by staff,” she said.

She added: “As a side note, given what I’ve been through, I know I’m very lucky and I can’t thank the medical staff enough.”