Short answer from our front desk: if you have a fever or might be contagious, stay home, rest and drink fluids. Text us and we’ll help you move your appointment. Once you’ve gone at least 24 hours without a fever (without fever medicine) and you’re feeling better, some people like a warm, quiet sauna session as a way to ease back into their routine. That’s a comfort choice, not a treatment.
Please stay home if you have
- A fever or chills
- A new cough, sore throat or runny nose you could pass on
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Dizziness, weakness, or signs you’re dehydrated
Heat makes you sweat, and that’s the last thing you need when you’re already low on fluids. Other guests will thank you too. To move a visit, text (504) 381-4207.
When you’re ready to come back
The CDC’s general guidance for respiratory illnesses is that you can go back to normal activities once, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you haven’t had a fever without using fever-reducing medicine. Follow your own doctor’s advice if it’s different.
If a sauna sounds good at that point:
- Start short. Book 30 minutes ($30 solo) rather than 45.
- Drink water before and after. You will sweat.
- Leave early if you feel dizzy, lightheaded or unwell. Staff would rather you step out.
- Prefer no heat? NuCalm ($40, 30 minutes) is guided audio with an eye mask. Hydromassage ($30, 30 minutes) is gentler warm water pressure while you stay dressed, but it is still warm.
What the research says
Some long-term studies from Finland found that people who used saunas often had fewer cases of pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses over the years (2017 study, pneumonia study). Those studies show a link, not proof. They mostly followed middle-aged Finnish men who used traditional saunas several times a week, which run hotter than an infrared room.
We haven’t seen good evidence that one sauna visit shortens a cold you already have, or that you can “sweat out” a virus. For more on what the research does and doesn’t show, see our evidence library.
When to call a doctor instead
If you have an emergency warning sign like trouble breathing or chest pain, seek emergency care right away. Call your doctor if you have a high fever, if symptoms get worse, or if you’re not improving. If you’re pregnant or have a heart or blood pressure condition, check with your doctor before any sauna visit, sick or not.
Questions
Should I use a sauna when I have a cold? Not while you have a fever or could pass it on. Rest at home and drink fluids. Once you’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours and feel better, a short sauna session is a comfort choice some people enjoy.
Can a sauna help me get over a cold faster? We haven’t seen good evidence that one sauna visit shortens a cold. Some Finnish studies link frequent sauna use with fewer respiratory illnesses over many years, but that is a link, not proof.
Is it OK to sweat out a cold? There’s no good evidence that sweating gets rid of a cold, and heat plus a fever can leave you dehydrated.
I booked a visit and now I’m sick. What should I do? Text (504) 381-4207 and we’ll help you move it.
NOLA Chill is a wellness studio at 6045 Magazine Street in New Orleans, not a medical clinic. The sauna is a wellness amenity, not a treatment for illness.