When it’s hot, people tend to sweat a lot. Taking a bath before going to bed every night has become a “routine” for most people; otherwise, they feel uncomfortable all over. However, for some patients with chronic diseases, the elderly and others, taking baths at will is not advisable as it can easily cause unnecessary harm to the cardiovascular system, skin and so on. Next, let’s list three bathing methods that are prone to causing illness for everyone.
Take a bath with cold water
When the body is so hot that it feels like it’s about to smoke, taking a refreshing shower sounds very refreshing and comfortable. But in essence, it’s a man-made illusion of the environment getting colder and won’t cool you down better than taking a warm bath. Moreover, taking a cold shower itself is also a rather dangerous behavior.
Although the Start of Autumn has arrived, the weather remains hot and people sweat more. The capillaries in the skin are often in an dilated state. If one suddenly takes a cold shower, it will stimulate the blood vessels to constrict, causing discomfort such as poor sweating, palpitations and headaches. Especially for middle-aged and elderly people, as well as those with a history of coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke and arrhythmia, this kind of “sudden cold stimulation” is another burden on the body.
Of course, it’s not good for the bath water to be too hot either. With the hot water rinse, the capillaries throughout the body dilate, and a large amount of blood rushes to the surface of the body. The blood supply to important organs such as the heart and brain relatively decreases. This is also a risk for people with chronic diseases such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. For daily bathing, it is recommended to keep the water temperature between 38℃ and 40℃, which is more suitable.
The bath time is too long
The temperature in the bathroom is also relatively high, especially when it’s hot. Staying in such a closed and stuffy environment for a long time can easily make one feel out of breath. Especially for the elderly, standing for a long time while taking a bath is also a “challenge” to their physical strength.
A general shower of 5 to 10 minutes is usually sufficient. Even when taking a bath, it’s best not to exceed 20 minutes. Especially for people who already have cardiovascular diseases, it is even less recommended to take long baths.
Besides, many friends like to scrub their baths vigorously. In fact, the vast majority of ordinary people are not that dirty. The “dirt” produced during scrubbing is partly the “garbage” on the skin surface, such as dead skin cells and the oil produced by the skin, but more often it is the stratum corneum of the human body. Scrubbing the bath too hard can easily damage the skin’s natural barrier. Therefore, for ordinary people, taking a bath no more than twice a month is sufficient, and the force should be gentle, with the skin not turning red or painful as the standard.
Take a bath immediately after having a full meal and exercising
If you take a bath immediately after a full meal, the blood flow in the digestive tract and the secretion of digestive juices will decrease, which may lead to indigestion and also increase the burden on the heart. Moreover, taking a bath immediately after a meal may cause hypoglycemia and even lead to symptoms such as collapse and fainting. It is best to wait for one hour after a meal before taking a bath. This also includes after drinking a lot of alcohol. Because being drunk can affect one’s sense of balance, in a slippery bathroom, there may be accidents such as bumps and falls.
After intense exercise, the human body’s blood circulation is in an active state. Taking a bath immediately will increase the burden on the heart and blood vessels. For people with poor physical conditions, it may even be fatal. It is recommended to wait until your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal before taking a bath.
Zoned care is more skin-nourishing
How to choose the right bath products? Many friends are quite concerned about the cleaning power of soap and body wash, fearing that they won’t be able to remove dirt when taking a bath. In fact, overly strong cleaning power can easily damage the skin’s protective layer. Some elderly people usually take baths with sulfur soap, which results in excessive keratinization of hair follicles and even triggers skin diseases such as eczema.
When choosing bath products, it is recommended to select weakly acidic ones. They should be as gentle as possible to ensure that while cleaning the skin, they do not cause additional irritation to it. After taking a bath, apply moisturizing body lotion promptly to prevent dry and flaky skin.
Dermatologists also suggest “zonation care” during bathing. For instance, when bathing in sebum secretion areas such as the chest and back, the amount of bath products can be increased. When cleaning relatively dry areas such as the limbs and perineum, one should avoid overusing bath products.