Heart shock from cold water

[Raene]

So today I did my second sauna ever and after I left I thought I'd be bright at pour my water over myself since there wasn't a shower nearby. I stupidly poured it right over my heart and gave myself quite a shock. I felt stunned and couldn't breathe or move for a few seconds. That was early this morning and now I still feel strange from it. Has anyone ever felt this? Am I going to be okay? It's kind of scary.

[rawpriestess]

Raene, my beloved Dragggon was a medic in the Navy and he says:

it's a form of shock, temperature change, which could change depending on how drastic the change is could through someone into respritory arest, but most people it only causes discomfort for several hours.

it all depends on the person's physical condition, and their makeup, some people can take a sauna, then jump in a cold river and be fine, others can not do that, and after a sauna, must cool the body down gently, some people take a sauna and are quite breathless for hours.

[Revvell]

You'll most likely be just fine ~ probably are right now.

What you've just experienced is LIFE in the form of hydrotherapy. Google it and you'll see LOTS of people do it all over the world....although, not so much now as many of us have gotten so afraid of life and feeling that we've not allowed ourself to experience much so doing something like that is even more of a shock to oneself.

Next time (if there is one), pour it over the top of your head. If anyone wants to condition themselves so they are not so adversely affected by weather or hot/cold changes, one way to do this is to take a really hot shower, then turn the hot off and the cold on ~ all the way. Then back to hot (be care-filled not to burn yourself); then cold. Do 7-10 rounds, beginning w/ hot, ending w/ cold. Each change should be about 30-60 seconds being sure to get the top of the head, all the way down the spine; the underarms and I like to do the bottoms of my feet. It's a bit of a rush.

Have fun!

Revvell

[rawpriestess]

This is what Dragggon was taught as a medic.

Cold Shock:

You have to first understand what happens to your body in cold water. Water removes heat from a body 25 times faster than cold air and most of the body heat is lost through the head... Two factors come into play against you while you are in cold water; they are cold shock and hypothermia.

Cold shock is the body’s reaction to the shock of cold water. Cold shock from cold water can trigger an involuntary gasping reflex that will cause you to inhale water through your mouth... Cold shock may also result in cardiac arrest. When the head and chest are exposed to cold water, the result is often a very sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

Cold water can also result in immediate loss of consciousness.

[Revvell]

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/showers.html
http://healingtools.tripod.com/thn9.html
http://www.healthfree.com/hotandcold.htm
http://www.healthfree.com/incurables_program_hydrotherapy.html

Hydrotherapy has been around for a lot longer than our fear of life. True, there are times when one doesn't want to "shock" the body, yet, there are times when it will bring more life TO one's body.

I've used hot/cold showers during times of detox when I could barely get out of bed; I've used hot/cold showers during times of emotional detox as well. It's best to build up to them and continue them on a regular basis to create and stay in balance.

Revvell

[swingbolder]

Hydrotherapy has been around for a lot longer than our fear of life. True, there are times when one doesn't want to "shock" the body, yet, there are times when it will bring more life TO one's body.

I used to go to a Russian bathhouse where you'd alternate between the steam room/sauna (they had both) and the cold pool. The cold pool was so cold you could barely move your limbs in it and you'd often get quite breathy. I couldn't stay in there for more than 30 seconds or a minute or so. It was quite a rush, and after about an hour or so of going between the two extremes several times you'd feel all rubbery, like you'd just had the most exquisite massage.

You can do a version of this in the shower, alternating between hot and cold water. Makes you feel great afterward (working up to the two extremes in temperature if so desired).