Taking a hot shower can help you relax, improve blood circulation, and boost your mood. However, some people may experience dizziness after showering. Check out the following article to find out why this happens and what you can do to prevent it.
Why you might feel dizzy after a hot shower
Why You Might Feel Dizzy After a Hot Shower
Whether it is soaking in a hot bath, using a sauna, or standing under a hot shower, these activities can help you unwind. Beyond relaxation, they offer several health benefits, such as:
- Boosting blood circulation
- Easing pain
- Enhancing your mood
- Relaxing muscles
- Cleansing oil and dirt from the skin
While there are many benefits, staying in hot water for too long can lead to dizziness or nausea, especially for people with heart, blood vessel, or nerve issues. Here are some common causes of dizziness after a hot shower:
Overheating
Prolonged exposure to hot water and steam, as in a sauna or a hot shower, can disrupt your body’s normal functioning. Studies show that hot water increases heart rate by up to 32%. If your body struggles to adapt to changes in heart rate or blood pressure, you might feel dizzy or faint.
Standing under hot water also raises your body temperature. This causes your blood vessels to dilate and your heart rate to slow down, lowering your blood pressure and potentially making you feel lightheaded or faint.
Standing for too long
Standing for too long under a hot shower can lead to vasovagal syncope, which is fainting caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. This happens when the heart rate and blood pressure suddenly drop in response to stress on the body.
When you stand for an extended period, blood pools in your legs, reducing blood flow to the brain. This can lead to symptoms like nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and even fainting.
Low blood sugar
Dizziness and nausea after a hot shower can also be triggered by low blood sugar levels. This can happen at any time, not just while showering.
If you haven’t eaten for a while or are fasting, a warm shower might make you feel sick. Similarly, if you have eaten a meal high in refined carbohydrates, your blood sugar may spike and then drop quickly, causing lightheadedness.
How to prevent dizziness from hot showers
Although dizziness from a hot shower is generally not dangerous, it can increase your risk of falling. Here are a few ways to prevent this:
- Drink a glass of water before showering.
- Avoid using excessively hot water.
- Install grab bars in your shower for safety.
- Use non-slip mats in the bathroom.
Dizziness after a hot shower usually does not require medical treatment and tends to subside once your body cools down. If the dizziness continues, it is a good idea to rest or consult a doctor.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
Looking for more tips and health tricks, first aid, and home remedies? Click here!
- Sean Edbert Lim, MBBS
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Zimlich, R. (2023).Why Do Hot Showers Make Me Dizzy?. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-hot-showers-make-me-dizzy#
Seladi-Schulman, J. (2020). What Can Cause Dizziness and Sweating?. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/dizziness-and-sweating
Lindberg, S. (2024). Cold Showers vs. Hot Showers: Which One Is Better?. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-vs-hot-shower