Sauna enthusiasts have been warned to keep hydrated after a woman in her early 70s suffered severe heat stroke and multi-organ failure following an extended session in the heat.
Medics from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital detailed how the patient required hospital treatment for 12 days after heat stroke triggered a heart attack among other serious health issues.
Only about 10 instances of heat stroke associated with saunas have been recorded. The woman, who regularly attended the gym, was discovered unconscious in an indoor sauna at her local fitness centre, reports Surrey Live.
“The most likely diagnosis was likely to be classical heat stroke with multi-organ failure,” noted doctors in BMJ Case Reports. “To the best of our knowledge, there have been fewer than 10 previously reported cases of heat stroke secondary to sauna use” A small number resulted in deaths, the professionals added.
Prior to entering the sauna, she had been doing stretching exercises for approximately 45 minutes. Medics found her with a dangerously high core body temperature of 42C, extremely low blood pressure and a rapid heart rate.
The woman, who had a history of type 1 diabetes and thyroid problems, was rushed to the emergency department at Heartlands. She was unresponsive, making groaning sounds and experienced a seizure in the emergency department.
The patient was cooled down with damp towels and a fan in the emergency department, which helped bring her body temperature back to normal, according to the medical team. The woman regained consciousness two hours after her body temperature returned to normal, but remained confused and drowsy for two days.
It turned out she had experienced acute kidney injury, which resolved itself within 48 hours after her admission to the hospital. On her second day in the ward, tests hinted that her liver wasn’t functioning properly.
To make matters worse, it turned out she also suffered a form of heart attack. When medics revisited the case 26 days post-event, the woman had bounced back to health, albeit still battling fatigue.
The patient, a regular sauna user, said her experienced has “emphasised the dangers of saunas and how important it is to be fully hydrated on entering a sauna and for them to be regularly checked by staff.”
The woman said she had never suffered issues before and “on reflection believes she didn’t drink enough water“. She is “feeling well and appears to have made a full recovery,” she added.
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