What are the potential risks or harms of taking a cold shower?
Taking frequent cold showers has certain benefits, but also some disadvantages. One of the more common disadvantages is that it can affect the coronary arteries of the heart. If cold showers are used frequently, the coronary arteries are prone to spasms or contractions, which can easily lead to sudden ischemia of the coronary arteries, thereby inducing acute coronary ischemic heart disease and even angina pectoris. People with low immunity are not recommended to take cold showers frequently.
1. Disadvantages of Cold Showers for People with Poor Health: Those with poor physical health should not take cold showers, as the cold stimulus may weaken their already poor resistance, leading to illnesses such as colds and fever. Taking a cold shower to cool down after sweating profusely is not a scientific approach.
2. Disadvantages of Taking a Cold Shower After Exercise: Taking a cold shower from head to toe after exercise for temporary relief may feel refreshing at the time, but afterwards, one may feel fatigued all over, and some may even experience headaches. This is because when the body sweats profusely, the capillaries are dilated. If a cold shower is taken, the blood vessels contract sharply, and the body's heat is affected by external factors, making it difficult to dissipate, which can easily lead to dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, and even vomiting. In severe cases, it may even cause intracranial bleeding.
3. Benefits of Cold Showers: Cold showers improve cardiovascular function. When taking a cold shower, the cold water stimulates the skin, causing the subcutaneous capillaries to contract rapidly, sending blood to the heart and increasing the heart rate, thereby increasing the blood flow throughout the body. Over time, the function of the heart will be effectively enhanced. At the same time, under the stimulus of cold water, the function of constriction and dilation of the blood vessels throughout the body is effectively improved.
