About the Dubious Benefits of Dousing

When summer is in full swing, the desire to get into cool water can become truly overwhelming. However, not all cooling methods are equally beneficial for the body. Pouring cold water is one such method that can cause a stress response in most people, and as a result, negative health effects.

As a rule, many people believe that stress is caused only by strong negative emotions. However, a stressful state can also occur after a cold douche. When poured with cold water, biologically active substances, including hormones such as glucocorticoids, are released into the blood. These hormones have the opposite effect of insulin and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.

Patients with diabetes mellitus who decide to engage in cold dousing need to understand that such procedures can seriously affect their health. Glucocorticoids can prevent blood sugar from entering the body's cells and begin breaking down proteins to "extract" sugar from them. If glucocorticoids accumulate in excess in the body, blood sugar levels can rise significantly.

In addition, cold dousing can cause sharp biochemical reactions in the body, which can lead to fatigue, drowsiness and other negative consequences. If the body is in a state of chronic fatigue, emotional or physical stress occurs, then it is not able to quickly establish the production of the necessary substances that maintain physical tone.

Therefore, without prior gradual preparation, only a person in good health and in good shape can afford to douse with cold water. Such procedures can only be beneficial for people who can cope with emotional and physical stress and have the opportunity to relax.

Patients with diabetes should look for other ways to harden and combat the summer heat, and not engage in cold dousing. An uncontrolled increase in blood sugar can lead to serious complications, such as ulcers, exacerbation of cholecystitis and pyelonephritis. Therefore, if you suffer from diabetes, you should consult a doctor to choose the most suitable cooling and hardening methods that will not harm your health.

Additionally, dousing yourself with cold water can be dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease, as it can cause a spike in blood pressure and a heart attack. Therefore, if you have health problems, before doing cold water dousing, you should consult your doctor and get recommendations about the safety of such procedures.

In general, cold water dousing can be beneficial for healthy people who exercise, but only with proper preparation and supervised use. However, for patients with diabetes and other diseases, as well as for people with cardiovascular problems, such procedures can be dangerous and are not recommended without first consulting a doctor.