Did sauna help my cold?

#4: Is sauna a miracle treatment?

“If a sauna, whiskey and tar do not help, the disease is fatal.” 
       (old Finnish proverb) Jos ei sauna ja viina ja terva auta niin se tauti on kuolemaksi.

That trio of treatment choices gives me pause. Apparently I haven’t been using the whole pharmacy —or maybe I’ve improved in it.

A couple of months ago I picked up a cold. Day One brought the usual range of symptoms — slight fever, sore throat, less energy, achy sinus, occasional sneezing and drippy nose. Except for the day the virus attacked, I never felt sick or totally exhausted. It was luckily a mild case.

That first evening I gave it the “sauna test” — a round of steam to knock it out. And repeated the sauna treatment several more nights in the next 14 days. I’m disappointed to report that löyly didn’t totally destroy that virus.

To update the whiskey and tar regimen, I maximized getting well (after a few days of sauna-only) by supplementing, with elderberry tea, zinc tabs, echinacea, lots of water and extra sleep among the new health additions. While my extra treatments didn't blast the virus either, my symptoms eased.

I’ll give credit to the sauna, not the supplements. Unfortunately I was too impatient to try only one cure at a time. 

 

Nikki