Very Hot Showers

[radiohead]

Apparently, I take unusually hot showers. I feel fine in them, but my family has felt how hot my showers are and pull their hand back very quickly as if they just touched a hotpan. Is this healthy for me? I feel fine in the shower and I have taken showers like this for as long as I can remember. I haven't done an actual temp reading on how hot it is, but I would put it 120, maybe 130 degrees fahrenheit. I take them about 15-20 minutes at a time twice a day.

 

Is it healthy to take them that hot? Or should I cool down the shower?

[LucidDreamer]

It's probably not good for your skin but I doubt your going to fall over dead in the shower any time soon.

[ssarda]

Very hot shower on regular basis is certainly harmfull for you'r skin,. it creates rashes on your skin. my suggestion is cool down a bit......

[radiohead]

Well, I have never had a rash on my skin. Despite chicken pox, I have never had any problem with my skin.

[Phi for All]

I know experts don't recommend staying in hot tubs or hot springs very long. A local hot springs I know has a pool that is 106 degrees and your not allowed to stay in that more than 5 minutes (after you've been acclimated by soaking in progressively warmer pools before you hit the 106). The hot water causes your cardiovascular system to go into overdrive, your blood vessels dilate, your blood pressure drops, heart rate increases to keep up with the pressure loss, your blood pumps faster, etc.

 

You are also bypassing the normal cooling process of sweating and blood is being pumped to the skin to release heat that can't radiate out because your in hot water. I don't know what damage this can cause but it could be similar to heatstroke. Over the long run, doing this twice a day can't be a safe practice.

[Phospholipid]

You are also bypassing the normal cooling process of sweating and blood is being pumped to the skin to release heat that can't radiate out because your in hot water. I don't know what damage this can cause but it could be similar to heatstroke. Over the long run, doing this twice a day can't be a safe practice.

 

I figure hot water (steam) is beneficial to 'at least' skin. It allows for skin pores to open up and waste removal... which is indeed handy if you aren't a big zit and pimple fan.

[Glider]

Phi is right. Too quick a change in body surface temperature invites a vasal response and the body has to work hard to compensate. People fainting in the shower is quite common. What is more common is people fainting after taking a hot bath, and then standing up to get out. Due to vasodilation caused by the hot water, the blood just falls from the brain (postural hypotension). Whilst the hot water itself may not hurt you, smashing your head against something hard and tiled has never been a good prospect.

[Phi for All]

Glider, is there any cumulative damaging effects to this practice, other than increasing the likliehood of fainting?

 

Also, beware taking showers that hot if you've had any alcohol. This puts additional pressure on the cardiovascular system.

[mmalluck]

Lets not forget that if you a guy, your testies like to be kept a few degrees cooler than regular body temperature. Sitting in a hot tub too long or wearing really constricting underwear will make your sperm-count drop.

 

I wonder if there any other side-effects. A drop in testosterone levels maybe?

[Phospholipid]

There's nothing wrong with a sperm-count drop if you don't wish to inseminate anybody soon. If anything, that would be like an extremely dilluted form of birth control.

[Glider]

Glider, is there any cumulative damaging effects to this practice, other than increasing the likliehood of fainting?

Not as far as I know. I think the danger exists only at the time the body is trying so hard to compensate for overheating. I can't see any reason why there should be any cumulative effect. However, I suppose it may be possible that constant stressing of homeostatic mechanisms might do something over time.

[Inferno]

I dunno if this matters, but in Georgia, the legal limit for hot tub tempartures is 106 F. Of course, its not like a guy goes around to every hot tub with a thermometer, but its gotten to where they wont sell them unless the highest possible temp for the water is below 106.

[Inferno]

Apparently' date=' I take unusually hot showers. I feel fine in them, but my family has felt how hot my showers are and pull their hand back very quickly as if they just touched a hotpan. Is this healthy for me? I feel fine in the shower and I have taken showers like this for as long as I can remember. I haven't done an actual temp reading on how hot it is, but I would put it 120, maybe 130 degrees fahrenheit. I take them about 15-20 minutes at a time twice a day.

 

Is it healthy to take them that hot? Or should I cool down the shower?[/quote']

 

Use a thermometer and do some research online. Wikipedia is bound to have something on it...