Water & Alcohol

[Anchor Lead]

Those who typically go to the sauna or take a steam bath to recover from a hangover should pay attention to this news. Autopsies of those who died in sauna revealed that 8 out of 10 people were fully intoxicated at the time, and those who were lying prone on their stomachs suffered an 11 times higher risk of death.

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This man, whose job requires him to drink frequently, used to visit the sauna three or four times a week. But such actions could cost his life. Over the past eight years, roughly one hundred people were autopsied after dying in saunas or steam baths. Given that only 2% of the deceased undergo autopsy, the actual number of people who died in sauna is much higher. A team of researchers from the National Forensic Service and Seoul National University Medical College found in its study of sauna deaths, that eight out of ten were intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of over 0.1%. This figure indicates the deceased went to the sauna after consuming more than one bottle of soju. The risk of dying is 11 times higher if a drunk person is lying face-down compared to when he is on his back. The alcohol and hot air in the sauna obstructs breathing and the face-down position presses the chest, making it even harder to breathe. To sober up quickly or recover from a hangover, it is better to get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water than to go to a sauna or a steam bath.