Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is caused by the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is usually transmitted via the bites of deer ticks or black-legged ticks. According to the CDC, although the incidence of Lyme disease has reduced, still around 30,000 people are affected by the disease every year.
People suffering from Lyme disease suffer from chronic fatigue, pain and the risk of serious complications is high. And, often, there are secondary infections.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is characterized by the following symptoms including:
- Severe headache
- Neck stiffness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Arthritis accompanied by pain and swelling in the knees
- Spinal cord and brain inflammation
- Tingling or insensibility in feet or hands
Stages of Lyme Infection
Lyme disease is characterized by 3 stages of infection:
- Early localized Lyme, which is accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, chills and throat pain.
- Early disseminated Lyme includes flu along with heart palpitation, chest pain, rashes, numbness in legs and arms and change in vision.
- Late disseminated Lyme. This stage could occur after several months or even years and include symptoms such as headache, disturbed sleep, arthritis and confusion.
If diagnosed early, Lyme disease can be treated with a short course of antibiotics. However, most often, Lyme disease is never diagnosed and if not treated quickly, there is a chance of the disease becoming chronic.
Usually, the antibiotics do not kill all the microbes and as the bacteria die, they release a huge load of toxins. Many people look for alternative therapies such as infrared sauna therapy to combat Lyme disease. However, the question is, “How effective is infrared sauna therapy in fighting Lyme disease?” In this article, we will explore how the use of an infrared sauna can help in combating Lyme disease.
How Can Infrared Sauna Therapy Help in Lyme Disease?
Infrared sauna therapy is regarded as an important keystone to combat bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Studies reveal that Lyme disease is susceptible to increased body heat. When combined with increased body temperature, antibiotic therapy is more effective.
To fight Lyme disease, detoxification is the most vital and infrared sauna use helps in detoxification via sweating. Infrared saunas can penetrate deeply into the body core and helps in detoxification through the sweat glands in the skin. The infrared sauna creates heat by using invisible light that warms your body, causing you to sweat, which in turn helps in detoxification by flushing the toxins out. The infrared light also helps to reduce cellular inflammation that is associated with Lyme disease and also promotes healing.
Benefits of Using Infrared Sauna in the Treatment of Lyme Disease
Boosts Detoxification
The main role of infrared saunas is detoxification via the sweat glands and skin. The skin, as we all know is the largest organ in our body and covers over 20 sq. ft. The skin contains more than 650 sweat glands and at least 1,000 nerve endings and serves as the first line of defense against pathogens. The skin constantly absorbs and eliminates toxins as it interacts with the changing external environment.
Most of the toxins are stored in our fat (adipose) cells. The body does this in order to protect it and prevent damage to the vital organs. The heat produced by the infrared sauna helps to stimulate the adipose cells, tissues and organs to release the toxins. In response to this, the sweat glands start working to cool the body and the skin offers a channel via which the toxins are eliminated from the body.
Helps to Excrete Fat-Soluble Toxins and Heavy Metals
The liver and kidneys of people suffering from Lyme disease are overburdened because of infection and inflammation. The bacteria infecting the body creates a further build up of toxins making you feel extremely fatigued and ill. The use of infrared sauna therapy makes you perspire, which helps in flushing out the toxins from the body. This also helps in preventing the toxins from building up in the internal organs that can result in further problems.
Boosts Metabolic Function and Reduces Oxidative Stress
Infrared sauna therapy can help to reduce oxidative stress and boost the body’s metabolic function. The mitochondria in our cells produce ATP, which is the primary energy source of all our body’s physiological and biochemical processes. Toxicity, chronic infections such as Lyme disease and oxidative stress damage the mitochondria and result in more oxidative stress. When your body detoxifies efficiently, it achieves a higher threshold to endure oxidative stress.
Infrared sauna therapy also helps to reduce inflammation in the body, which is a major problem affecting people suffering from Lyme disease, causing a lot of pain and dysfunction. Also, in several cases, Lyme patients carry genetic mutations like HLA-1 and 2 and MTHFR, which prevent the body from detoxing properly. And, when combined with slow-growing bacteria, parasites and viruses in the tissues and blood, the detoxification is further hampered over time.
So, it is extremely important to open up and clear the detoxification pathways inside the cells to enable the body to produce healthy antioxidant enzymes like catalase, glutathione and amylase naturally, which help in proper detoxification. And, infrared sauna therapy helps in effective detox and helps to flush out various toxins such as bacteria, viruses, pathogens, chemicals, heavy metals, etc.
Boosts Circulation
Often, people suffering from Lyme disease experience issues with their blood circulation ranging from hyper-coagulation to vasculitis, which is a common occurrence in the co-infection Babesia. The reduced blood circulation and oxygenation of the tissues cause chronic fatigue. It is seen that infrared sauna therapy can boost the systemic circulation by up to 200% and the greater circulation results in greater oxygen supply to the tissue.
The enhanced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues results in enhanced tissue repair, removal of toxins from the cells and also the elimination of mediators causing inflammation from the tissues. Infrared sauna therapy helps to relieve several Lyme disease-related symptoms such as pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, paraesthesia, muscle and joint pains and cognitive function, (Lyme brain), etc. by boosting the oxygenation of the tissues, increasing cellular metabolism and enhancing detoxification.
Eradicates Infection
Usually, people suffering from chronic illness have a low body temperature, which does not allow their body to fight off the bacteria, viruses and other infections. When you take a sauna therapy session, the infrared sauna helps to raise the body temperature, which then attacks and kills off harmful bacteria, viruses, yeast, parasites and even cancerous tumors. The various bacteria, viruses and parasites like Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella and Candida are susceptible to heat. Raising the body temperature can help a great deal in eliminating the pathogen load, especially when you complement it with other therapies such as antibiotics, herbal antimicrobials, etc.
Reduces Pain Associated with Lyme Disease
As discussed earlier, infrared sauna therapy helps to raise the core temperature of your body, which in turn, increases circulation. This enables oxygen, immune cells and nutrients to reach the affected parts of the body that need them. This can help to reduce inflammation and pain in the joints. Also, the increased blood flow helps to relax the joints and muscles, which can help to decrease stiffness and pain, the symptoms of Lyme disease.
Boosts Your Immune Function
Research studies reveal that the increased body temperature induced by infrared sauna can help to improve immune function. The studies showed that after sauna bathing there was an increase in the number of white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and basophils in the body. Also, the increased heat helps to boost circulation and this enables the immune cells to reach all the parts of the body and combat Lyme disease and its symptoms effectively.
Helps You to Sleep Better and Reduce Fatigue
Infrared sauna therapy offers a peaceful and calm environment and allows you to relax completely. The higher temperature also helps to relax your muscles, releasing the tension throughout your body, thereby promoting a calm and relaxed feeling. A study revealed that infrared sauna therapy can help people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and helps to improve their fatigue levels, reduce anxiety and depression and also improve their mood and performance.
The infrared saunas from Radiant Health are not only excellent for relaxation after a long tiring day, but also offer loads of health benefits, including being extremely beneficial in assisting Lyme patients for quicker recovery. Radiant Health saunas can help immensely in reducing muscle soreness, reducing the toxic load, relieving stress and helping you to relax.
In conclusion, infrared sauna therapy has proved to be immensely beneficial for people suffering from Lyme disease or those who are recovering from it. Boosting detoxification plays a key role in benefiting Lyme disease patients. However, in addition, infrared saunas also help to reduce oxidative stress, improve metabolic function, enhance blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
By increasing the core body temperature, infrared sauna therapy can help to reduce the microbial load. It is best to use a combination of near, far and mid infrared waves for optimal benefits. And, it is recommended that as a Lyme patient, you should start slowly and then move up the temperature, time and frequency of infrared sauna sessions for maximum benefit.