Pathophysiologist Sergei Stepanov: even healthy people should not take a cold shower without prior preparation.
Is it possible to wash under cold water? In a conversation with Izvestia, doctor Stepanov explained that washing in a cold shower is permissible, but it requires caution and is not indicated for everyone. The specialist emphasized that such a procedure should not cause hypothermia, which negatively affects the immune system.
“You can wash yourself under a cold shower. Due to the sharp temperature change, it stimulates the immune system and tones and activates the body. But hypothermia can reduce the stability of the immune system and provoke infectious diseases, as well as diseases associated with inflammation of muscles and nerves,” Stepanov warned.
The doctor said that sudden contact with cold water can cause stress for the body, which will trigger the release of hormones. The consequence of such a reaction will be vascular spasm, which can lead to pathologies of the cardiovascular system, including reflex cardiac arrest.
The pathologist told us which people should not take a cold shower under any circumstances.
“People with chronic diseases, especially diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and motor systems, it is not recommended to take a cold shower in any form.”
The expert clarified that after 50 years, dousing with cold water and other hardening measures should be performed with great caution, and after 70 – don’t practice at all. Stepanov also advised not to harden children under 9 years old with cold water.
Earlier, the MedikForum.ru portal wrote that dark and thick clothing better protects against the harmful effects of the sun.
Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.