Last updated 2026-07-09

Are infrared saunas actually dangerous?

For most healthy adults, no. But "most healthy adults" does a lot of work in that sentence.

Infrared saunas heat your body differently than a traditional Finnish sauna. Instead of warming the air around you to 160-200°F, infrared panels emit electromagnetic radiation in the near-, mid-, and far-infrared spectrum, which your skin and underlying tissue absorb directly. Cabin air temperatures typically sit between 110-140°F. That lower ambient temperature makes sessions feel more comfortable, and a lot of people assume comfort means safety. That assumption is where problems start.

The stress infrared heat puts on your cardiovascular system is real, even if the room feels cooler. Your core temperature still rises. Your heart rate climbs. Blood vessels dilate. Sweating begins. Same mechanisms as any sauna, same risks for people who are vulnerable.

There have been deaths tied to sauna use. A 2019 case series in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology documented hyperthermia-related sauna fatalities, most involving alcohol, pre-existing cardiac conditions, or extended unsupervised sessions ^[1]. None of those deaths are specific to infrared, but the pattern matters: the danger is almost always a vulnerable person plus a failure of common sense, not the technology itself.

So the question isn't whether infrared saunas can be dangerous. They can. The real question is who is at risk, and under what conditions.

What are the most common infrared sauna risks?

Five categories are worth knowing in detail.

Dehydration and electrolyte loss. Sweating is the point. A 20-30 minute infrared session can produce somewhere between 0.5 and 1.5 liters of sweat, depending on temperature, session length, and individual physiology ^[2]. That sweat carries sodium, potassium, and magnesium with it. Replace only the water without the electrolytes and you can land in a hyponatremia-adjacent situation, especially with long daily sessions. Most people just feel lightheaded and stop. A few end up in urgent care.

Overheating (hyperthermia). Your body's thermoregulatory system is good, but it has limits. Staying in too long, especially if you're not sweating efficiently (alcohol suppresses this), can push core temperature to dangerous levels. Early heat exhaustion shows up as nausea, dizziness, and a sudden stop in sweating. If you stop sweating in a sauna, get out immediately.

Orthostatic hypotension. Blood vessels dilate during heat exposure. Stand up quickly after a session and blood pools in your legs before your cardiovascular system compensates. The result is a sharp drop in blood pressure, dizziness, and sometimes fainting. This hits older adults and anyone on blood pressure medications or diuretics hardest.

Drug and medication interactions. This one is underappreciated. Diuretics amplify dehydration. Beta-blockers blunt the heart rate response your body uses to manage heat load, so your heart can't compensate the way it normally would. Stimulants raise baseline heart rate and blood pressure before you even step in. Alcohol is the most dangerous: it impairs judgment, suppresses sweating, and causes vasodilation all at once. The FDA notes that heat exposure can alter drug absorption and distribution for certain medications, though the research is mostly on topical drug patches rather than systemic pills ^[3].

Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. Infrared saunas, especially older or cheaper models, can produce elevated electromagnetic fields, sometimes well above the ICNIRP reference levels for occupational exposure. This is the most contested category. The evidence that low-level EMF causes harm at the exposures typical of consumer devices is weak and inconsistent. The WHO's International EMF Project has reviewed the literature and concluded that current evidence does not confirm health effects from low-level EMF ^[4]. That doesn't mean no risk exists. It means the evidence isn't strong enough to make confident claims either way. If this concerns you, look for models with shielded wiring and get third-party EMF measurements before buying.

For a broader look at the same physiological mechanisms working in your favor, the sauna benefits article covers the upside.

Who should not use an infrared sauna?

This is the most practical question, and the medical literature gives reasonable clarity on it.

The groups with the clearest contraindications:

• Pregnant women. Hyperthermia in early pregnancy (core temperature above 38.9°C / 102°F) is associated with neural tube defects and other fetal abnormalities. A 1992 study in JAMA found hot tub use in the first trimester increased the odds of neural tube defects roughly 2-fold compared to non-use ^[5]. Infrared saunas haven't been studied specifically in pregnant women, but the mechanism (elevated core temperature) is the same, so most OBs advise avoidance in the first trimester at minimum.

• People with implanted electronic devices. Pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, cochlear implants, and drug-delivery pumps all carry manufacturer warnings about heat and EMF exposure. Thresholds vary by device. Check with your cardiologist and the device manufacturer before using any sauna.

• People with multiple sclerosis. Heat sensitivity (the Uhthoff phenomenon) is common in MS. Elevated core temperature temporarily worsens neurological symptoms in many patients. This isn't necessarily permanent damage, but it can be severe and unpredictable. Some MS patients use saunas under medical supervision. Many neurologists advise against it.

• People with uncontrolled hypertension. Blood pressure responses to heat are complex and individual. Regular sauna use has been linked to lower cardiovascular risk in Finnish observational data, but people with uncontrolled high blood pressure face real acute risk during a session. Get clearance from your doctor before starting.

• Children. Pediatric thermoregulation is less efficient than adult. There's no established safe exposure threshold for children, and no good clinical data. Keep young children out.

• Anyone who just had a significant injury, surgery, or acute illness. Inflammation is already elevated. Adding heat stress is counterproductive in the acute phase.

If you're otherwise healthy and under 60, the risk profile is low. If you're over 60, take any prescription medication, or have any chronic condition, talk to your doctor before starting a regular routine. That's not excessive caution. It's a five-minute conversation that could prevent a hospitalization.

Is infrared sauna safe with heart conditions?

This gets asked constantly, and the answer is genuinely nuanced.

The largest observational study on sauna use and cardiovascular outcomes is the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study from Finland, which tracked over 2,300 middle-aged Finnish men for up to 20 years. The findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015, showed that men who used saunas 4-7 times per week had a 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared to once-weekly users ^[6]. Striking number, but the caveats matter: this was a traditional Finnish sauna cohort (not infrared), it was observational (not a randomized trial), and Finnish men who use saunas that often are probably a self-selected healthy population in other ways.

For people with existing heart disease, the picture gets more complicated. Acute sauna sessions raise heart rate, drop peripheral resistance, and temporarily lower blood pressure. That combination is usually well-tolerated in stable cardiovascular disease but can destabilize people with unstable angina, recent heart attack (within 4-6 weeks), severe aortic stenosis, or uncompensated heart failure.

The American College of Cardiology has not issued a specific infrared sauna guideline. The general cardiology consensus is that stable, well-controlled heart disease is not an absolute contraindication. Unstable or severe disease is.

If you have any diagnosed heart condition, the conversation with your cardiologist should happen before your first session, not after. The stakes are high enough that a phone call is worth it.

For context on how infrared compares to other heat therapies on physiological load, the sauna vs steam room article breaks down the differences.

Once weekly (baseline)	0%
2-3 times per week	22%
4-7 times per week	63%

Source: JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015 (Laukkanen et al., citation 6)

Can infrared saunas cause burns or skin damage?

Yes, though it's rare with normal use.

Infrared panels get hot. Near-infrared panels in particular can reach surface temperatures that cause contact burns if you sit or lean against them directly. Far-infrared panels run cooler but can still burn you with prolonged contact.

More common than burns is skin irritation from prolonged sweating and heat. People with rosacea often find heat exposure of any kind (more than infrared specifically) triggers flushing and flares. People with eczema sometimes see worsening from sweating. These aren't burns, but they're real adverse effects.

Then there's UV. Standard infrared panels do not emit ultraviolet radiation. Infrared is longer-wavelength than visible light. UV is shorter-wavelength. They sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. So you won't get UV skin damage from a properly designed infrared sauna. Some combination saunas or add-on systems include UV light for vitamin D claims. If a sauna has UV panels, that's a separate consideration entirely.

On near-infrared specifically: there's some lab evidence that near-infrared radiation at high intensities can generate reactive oxygen species in skin tissue. Most commercial near-infrared sauna panels operate well below the intensities where this becomes relevant, but the research isn't extensive enough to draw firm conclusions at consumer exposure levels.

What does the research say about infrared sauna EMF exposure?

EMF from infrared saunas is the topic where misinformation runs in both directions. The scare-mongers overstate the risk. Some manufacturers downplay it entirely. Here's what is actually known.

Infrared saunas use electric heating elements. Any device that runs on AC power generates an electromagnetic field. The questions that matter: how strong, at what frequencies, and does that matter?

Measurements of consumer infrared saunas have found wide variation. A study published in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine in 2017 measured magnetic flux density in several cabin sauna models and found readings from under 1 mG (milligauss) to over 100 mG, depending on proximity to the heating elements and the wiring design of the unit ^[7]. The ICNIRP general public reference level for power-frequency magnetic fields is 2,000 mG at 50 Hz, so even elevated readings in the sauna context sit far below the established reference limits.

The WHO's position, last updated through the International EMF Project, is that "current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields" ^[4]. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies ELF magnetic fields as Group 2B, "possibly carcinogenic," based mainly on childhood leukemia epidemiology, but that classification explicitly means evidence is limited and could reflect chance, bias, or confounding ^[8].

The honest summary: EMF levels in most infrared saunas are low relative to established safety standards. Long-term effects of chronic low-level EMF are uncertain because the science is uncertain. If you want to minimize exposure, buy a unit with low-EMF shielded wiring (some manufacturers publish third-party test results) and don't press yourself against the panels. Keeping even 6-12 inches of distance drops field intensity sharply, because field strength falls off with the square of distance.

Can you use an infrared sauna while sick or on medications?

Using a sauna while acutely sick is a bad idea. Your body is already under physiological stress from an active infection. Fever plus sauna heat can push core temperature to dangerous levels fast. The old folk wisdom about "sweating out" a cold has no clinical support, and the cardiovascular load of a fever combined with sauna heat is real.

For medications, the concern is more specific and more important than most people realize.

Diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, others): amplify fluid and electrolyte loss from sweating. Dehydration risk climbs sharply.

Antihypertensives (beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers): can cause exaggerated blood pressure drops, and in the case of beta-blockers, block the compensatory heart rate increase your body normally uses to manage heat stress.

Antidepressants and antipsychotics (some SSRIs, tricyclics, phenothiazines): can impair thermoregulation and sweating directly, which raises the risk of overheating.

Anticonvulsants: some reduce heat tolerance. Individual variation is high.

Alcohol: not a medication, but worth repeating here. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has documented that alcohol impairs both sweating and cardiovascular responses to heat ^[9]. Alcohol plus sauna is the most common thread in sauna-related fatalities. Don't do it.

If you take prescription medication of any kind, the five-minute question to your prescribing physician is worth the call.

How long should you stay in an infrared sauna to stay safe?

Most clinical studies showing physiological benefits use sessions of 15-30 minutes at 113-140°F. That's a reasonable starting point for a healthy adult.

For new users, 10-15 minutes is a sensible first session. See how you feel afterward, wait 24 hours, then extend if everything was fine. Building to 20-30 minutes over several sessions beats jumping straight to the maximum.

Frequency matters more than single-session duration for most of the adverse effects above. Daily 30-minute sessions produce cumulative electrolyte stress that a twice-weekly session does not.

The specific thresholds that appear in the research:

• Core temperature above 38.9°C (102°F) is the threshold associated with fetal risk in pregnant women ^[5].
• The Finnish cohort data showing cardiovascular benefits used sessions of "approximately 15-30 minutes" in a standard sauna ^[6].
• Occupational heat stress guidelines from OSHA apply primarily to workplace environments, but the underlying physiology (continuous wet-bulb globe temperature exposure) gives useful reference context ^[10].

The practical rules: drink 16-24 oz of water before you go in. If you feel dizzy, nauseated, or stop sweating, get out. Don't lie down immediately after (orthostatic hypotension risk). Sit or stand near the exit for a minute before you move to a cooler room. Don't lock the door from the inside.

For people who use infrared saunas alongside cold exposure, the cold plunge article covers contrast therapy sequence and timing.

Is an infrared sauna safe for long-term use?

Long-term safety data specifically for infrared saunas is sparse. Most of the longitudinal research on sauna use comes from Finland and uses traditional steam saunas, not infrared. Extrapolating from Finnish sauna data to infrared is reasonable in some respects (the cardiovascular and thermal stress mechanisms overlap) but not exact.

The Finnish 20-year follow-up data is the closest thing to long-term safety evidence the field has ^[6]. It shows no harm signal. If anything, the heavy-use group had better cardiovascular outcomes. But again, this was a healthy, self-selected population.

For kidneys: dehydration stress from frequent sauna use without adequate rehydration could theoretically strain the kidneys over years. One pilot study in clinical nephrology examined sauna use in patients with chronic kidney disease and found it was tolerated, but this is a very small literature ^[11]. For healthy people without kidney issues, there's no evidence that regular sauna use with adequate hydration causes kidney damage.

For fertility: heat exposure to the testes suppresses spermatogenesis. This is well-established for hot tub use and applies to any heat source, saunas included. A 2013 review in Reproductive Toxicology noted that testicular hyperthermia from sauna use can temporarily reduce sperm count and motility ^[12]. The effect appears reversible after heat exposure stops, but if you're actively trying to conceive, raise it with your urologist.

For the average person doing 3-4 infrared sauna sessions per week: current evidence suggests this is safe. Chronic daily use at high temperatures without careful hydration is where the risk profile gets murkier. Nobody has good long-term controlled trial data on this, and it's worth being honest about that gap.

How do infrared sauna risks compare to traditional sauna risks?

The core risks are largely shared, but the specifics differ in a few meaningful ways.

Risk category	Traditional Finnish sauna	Infrared sauna
Operating temperature	160-200°F air temp	110-140°F air temp
Core temperature rise	Rapid, high	Slower, moderate
Dehydration risk	High (heavy sweating)	High (heavy sweating)
Overheating risk	Higher (extreme air temp)	Moderate, but still real
EMF concern	Minimal (wood-burning or simple electric)	Present (depends on unit quality)
Burns from contact	Low (wood benches)	Present (panel contact)
Cardiovascular load	Higher acute load	Lower acute load
Evidence base	20+ years of Finnish cohort data	Smaller, shorter studies

The lower air temperature of infrared is genuinely relevant: people who find traditional saunas intolerable because of the hot air (common with respiratory conditions) often tolerate infrared better. That doesn't make infrared "safer" in an absolute sense. It means the risk profile is slightly different.

The bigger point is that the risk factors that kill or hospitalize people in saunas (alcohol, underlying cardiac conditions, unsupervised extended sessions) apply equally to both types. The technology isn't what creates the hazard. The behavior is.

For a full comparison of heat therapy formats, the sauna vs steam room breakdown covers the physiological differences in detail. If you're evaluating options for home installation, the home sauna guide walks through what to look for structurally and on safety.

What safety features should you look for in an infrared sauna?

If you're buying a unit, the safety features matter as much as the heating specs.

Thermostatic controls with automatic shutoff are non-negotiable. The unit should cut power if internal temperature exceeds a preset maximum. Most reputable models have this. Cheap import units sometimes don't.

A timer with automatic off. You should never rely on staying conscious to end a session. The sauna needs an independent timer that shuts down the heaters no matter what you're doing.

Low-EMF wiring. Some manufacturers publish third-party EMF measurement reports. Ask for them. If a company can't provide them, that's a red flag.

ETL or UL listing. These North American safety certifications confirm the electrical components meet minimum standards. They don't certify health claims, but they do mean the wiring and thermostat have been tested by an independent lab.

Door design. The door should open from the inside without effort and should never auto-lock. Sounds obvious, but there are cheap units where the latch design can trap someone who loses motor coordination inside.

Ventilation. A well-designed infrared sauna has adequate air exchange. Sealed, unventilated cabins can accumulate carbon dioxide in long sessions, especially with multiple users.

SweatDecks carries a curated selection of home infrared sauna units vetted for these safety features, including third-party EMF documentation from the brands they stock.

Weighing a standalone unit against a portable option? The portable sauna article compares the safety and performance tradeoffs. If your plan is outdoor installation, the outdoor sauna guide covers the electrical and weatherproofing requirements.

What should you do if you feel unwell during an infrared sauna session?

Get out. That's the whole answer.

The instinct to push through discomfort in a wellness context is understandable but genuinely dangerous in a heated environment. The early signs of heat exhaustion (dizziness, nausea, headache, skin that stops producing sweat, a feeling of anxiety or unease) can progress to heat stroke within minutes if you stay in the heat.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The hallmark signs are cessation of sweating, confusion, and core temperature above 104°F (40°C). If someone in your household collapses or becomes confused in or near the sauna, call 911, move them to a cool room immediately, and apply cool wet towels or ice packs to the neck, armpits, and groin, where large blood vessels run close to the surface. The CDC's guidance on heat-related illness recommends aggressive cooling before EMS arrives ^[13].

For home use: always tell someone when you're in the sauna. Don't use it alone if you're new to heat exposure, elderly, or have any health condition. Keep a phone inside or within reach. Keep water inside the cabin. Set the timer before you start, not when you feel like coming out.

These aren't dramatic precautions. They're the equivalent of a seatbelt: mostly unnecessary, occasionally the only thing that matters.

Frequently asked questions

Can infrared saunas cause cancer?

There is no established link between infrared sauna use and cancer. Infrared radiation is non-ionizing: it carries too little energy per photon to damage DNA directly. The EMF concern (ELF magnetic fields from the electrical components) is classified as Group 2B, "possibly carcinogenic," by IARC, but that reflects weak and inconsistent evidence, mostly from childhood leukemia epidemiology, not sauna-specific research. Current evidence does not support avoiding infrared saunas on cancer grounds for healthy adults.

Is infrared sauna safe during pregnancy?

Most OBs advise against it, particularly in the first trimester. Core temperature above 38.9°C (102°F) is associated with neural tube defects and fetal developmental risk. Infrared saunas can raise core temperature into that range. The research covers hyperthermia broadly (hot tubs, fever, any heat source), not infrared specifically, but the mechanism is the same. If you're pregnant, skip it or get explicit clearance from your OB before any session.

Can I use an infrared sauna every day?

Healthy adults can likely use infrared saunas daily without harm, but the evidence for daily use is thinner than for 3-4 times per week. The main risk of daily use is cumulative electrolyte depletion if you replace only water and not sodium and potassium. Daily testicular heat exposure may also temporarily reduce sperm count. Start with 3-4 sessions per week, assess how you feel over 4-6 weeks, and build from there if you want more frequency.

Do infrared saunas help with weight loss?

The fluid loss during a session can temporarily drop the scale by a pound or more, but that's water, not fat. Rehydration brings it back. Some studies show modest increases in energy expenditure during infrared sessions (roughly equivalent to a light walk), but the data is preliminary and effect sizes are small. Infrared saunas are not a meaningful weight loss tool on their own. Treat any weight-loss claims from sauna marketing with skepticism.

What's the difference between near, mid, and far infrared in terms of safety?

Near-infrared (NIR, 700-1400 nm) penetrates deeper into tissue and operates at higher surface temperatures than far-infrared panels. Contact burns are more likely from NIR panels if you sit against them. Far-infrared (FIR, 3000-100,000 nm) operates at lower surface temperatures and is the most common in consumer cabin saunas. Mid-infrared falls between them. For safety, the main differences are panel contact burn risk (higher for NIR) and EMF profile, which varies by unit design, not infrared wavelength.

Can infrared saunas interact with alcohol?

Yes, and it's dangerous. Alcohol impairs your body's ability to sweat efficiently, blunts your perception of overheating, causes additional vasodilation on top of the sauna's effect, and compromises your judgment about when to leave. The combination of alcohol and sauna is the most common thread in sauna-related fatalities in the published forensic literature. This rule is absolute: don't use an infrared sauna while drinking or intoxicated.

Are infrared saunas safe for elderly people?

Older adults can use infrared saunas safely with appropriate precautions, but the risk profile is higher than for younger adults. Thermoregulatory efficiency declines with age. Orthostatic hypotension on exiting the sauna is more common and more dangerous. Medication interactions (antihypertensives, diuretics) are more likely because more older adults take these drugs. Short sessions (10-15 minutes), a companion nearby, and physician clearance are reasonable precautions for anyone over 70.

Can infrared sauna worsen autoimmune conditions?

It depends heavily on the condition. For multiple sclerosis, heat exposure worsens symptoms through the Uhthoff phenomenon and is generally discouraged. For some other autoimmune conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus), there's limited evidence that regular sauna use may be tolerated, but flares can complicate things. This is not a question with a general answer: discuss your specific condition and medications with your rheumatologist or neurologist before starting sauna use.

Do infrared saunas affect blood pressure?

Yes. During a session, blood pressure typically drops as peripheral blood vessels dilate. This effect can be significant in people on antihypertensive medications, compounding the drug's action and causing dizziness or fainting, especially when standing up after a session. Some small studies suggest regular sauna use may lower resting blood pressure over time, but anyone with hypertension or on BP medications should get physician clearance and monitor their response carefully in early sessions.

Is it safe to use an infrared sauna alone?

For healthy adults in short sessions, solo use is generally fine. The risk is that if you become dizzy, faint, or experience heat exhaustion, no one is there to help. The practical precautions: always set the auto-shutoff timer before you start, keep a phone inside the cabin, tell someone in your household you're using it, and don't lock the door from the inside. For elderly users, new users, or anyone with a health condition, having someone nearby is a reasonable rule.

Can children use infrared saunas?

Children's thermoregulatory systems are less efficient than adults, they have a higher surface-area-to-body-mass ratio, and they can become dehydrated more rapidly. There are no established safe sauna exposure thresholds for children, and no clinical data on infrared sauna use in pediatric populations. Most pediatricians would advise against it for young children. Teenagers are a gray area; short, supervised sessions in a cooler setting are less concerning than adult-protocol sessions, but parental judgment and physician input are appropriate.

How much does EMF from an infrared sauna actually matter?

Current scientific consensus, based on WHO's International EMF Project review, is that low-level EMF from consumer devices does not produce confirmed health effects. Infrared sauna EMF levels, even in poorly shielded units, are typically well below ICNIRP reference limits. IARC's Group 2B classification for ELF fields reflects limited evidence, not established harm. If you want to minimize exposure: choose a unit with published low-EMF shielding, and don't lean against the panels. The risk, such as it is, is small.

What medications make infrared sauna use risky?

Diuretics (increased dehydration), beta-blockers (blunted heart rate response to heat), antihypertensives broadly (compounded blood pressure drop on exit), some antidepressants and antipsychotics (impaired thermoregulation and sweating), and anticonvulsants (variable heat tolerance effects). Alcohol is not a medication but is the most dangerous interaction. If you're on any prescription medication, a brief conversation with your prescribing physician about sauna safety is worth having before starting a regular routine.

Sources

1. Mayo Clinic, Sweating and health FAQ: A 20-30 minute sauna session can produce 0.5-1.5 liters of sweat depending on temperature and individual physiology
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Drug Interactions overview: Heat exposure can alter drug absorption and distribution for certain medications, particularly topical drug delivery systems
3. World Health Organization, International EMF Project: WHO states current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields
4. JAMA, 1992 study on hot tub use and neural tube defects in first trimester: Hot tub use in the first trimester was associated with approximately 2-fold increased odds of neural tube defects; core temperature above 38.9°C is the established risk threshold
5. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015, Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (Laukkanen et al.): Men who used saunas 4-7 times per week had 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared to once-weekly users over 20-year follow-up
6. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, 2017, EMF measurements in consumer infrared sauna cabins: Magnetic flux density in consumer infrared sauna models ranged from under 1 mG to over 100 mG depending on proximity to heating elements and wiring design
7. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Alcohol and the body: Alcohol impairs both sweating and cardiovascular responses to heat, compounding sauna-related physiological stress
8. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Heat Illness Prevention: OSHA occupational heat stress guidelines establish physiological thresholds for safe heat exposure using wet-bulb globe temperature and work-rest cycles
9. Reproductive Toxicology, 2013 review on testicular hyperthermia and spermatogenesis: Testicular hyperthermia from sauna use can temporarily reduce sperm count and motility, with effect appearing reversible after cessation of heat exposure
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Heat Stress and Heat-Related Illness: CDC recommends aggressive cooling before EMS arrival for heat stroke, including application of cool wet towels or ice packs to neck, armpits, and groin

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