- Heart and blood pressure
- With a heart condition, high blood pressure or a raised risk of stroke, the check with Dr. Rockhead comes before any sauna or cold plunge, and he may say no. That includes blood pressure treated with tablets. With heart disease that is not under control, do not plunge, and we advise against the sauna. Harvard Health says a cold plunge is not advisable for anyone who has had cardiovascular disease, and that anyone with a heart rhythm problem should avoid it. With severe high blood pressure, no salt room.
- Sickle cell disease
- The NHS advises people with sickle cell disease to avoid getting into very cold water: do not use the cold plunge unless Dr. Rockhead has agreed. Tell him before a sauna too: the NHS says a crisis can be triggered by dehydration and by a sudden change in temperature.
- Asthma and other lung conditions
- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says it is best for people with asthma to avoid salt rooms. With any lung condition, speak to your own doctor or nurse before you use one. Do not use the salt room with asthma or COPD that is severe or not under control, with a cold, the flu, a chest infection or a fever, or with active tuberculosis. If you have a reliever inhaler, bring it.
- Drips
- Any drip is a medical procedure and carries risks. We don't give one to anyone with heart failure, severe kidney disease, a severe clotting problem, an infection where the needle would go, or an allergy to anything in the drip. Drips that contain vitamin C are also not for people with a tendency to kidney stones, haemochromatosis, G6PD deficiency or a history of kidney disease.
- Pregnancy
- Tell us if you are or could be pregnant before you book any of these. We advise against the sauna in pregnancy, above all in the first three months. The cold plunge only if Dr. Rockhead agrees, and a drip only for a clear medical reason.
- Your medicines and your health
- Tell Dr. Rockhead everything you take. Some medicines make heat harder to cope with. Do not stop any medicine in order to have a session. Tell him too about diabetes, kidney disease or recent surgery, and ask before you bring a child. We advise against the cold plunge with Raynaud's or poor circulation in the arms or legs, or with hives or asthma that cold brings on. We advise against the sauna if you often get dizzy or faint when you stand up, or have severe breathing disease.
