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Ice Baths: Things To Consider Before Taking The Plunge

Ice baths have become all the rage lately. For celebrities, athletes and even the average Joe. And rightfully so, since they have many health benefits, providing that they are used…

Fit man sitting in a bathtub filled with cold water and ice cubes for recovery and health purposes. He is wearing black speedos and sitting in a tub with ice. Water is running from the faucet. The tub is white and the walls are grey. Ice baths.

Fit man sitting in a bathtub filled with cold water and ice cubes for recovery and health purposes. Many athletes use this form of cryotherapy to recover and rebuild muscles after a training session. But are ice baths necessary for the average person?

David Ziegler via Getty Images

Ice baths have become all the rage lately. For celebrities, athletes and even the average Joe. And rightfully so, since they have many health benefits, providing that they are used properly.

But before you decide that an ice bath is right for you, there are a few things to consider. Especially if you live in a dry climate like Las Vegas.

Baths Take A Lot More Water Than Showers

For those of us in Las Vegas, we know that the water conservation struggle is real. With Lake Mead dropping more and more every year, residents are constantly being encouraged to save water where they can.

Laws will get stricter too when it comes to planting grass in our yards. With Las Vegas being one of the fastest growing cities in America, we have to think ahead.

We're already seeing harsher punishments for violating water waste laws with our sprinklers. That's not to say that we'll get fined for taking baths every day, obviously.

It's just something to think about before you jump on the ice bath trend. Is it really worth the extra gallons of water you'll use?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a full bath in a standard tub requires about 70 gallons of water. Taking a five-minute shower, on the other hand, only uses 10 to 25 gallons of water.

And considering ice baths are not a means of actually cleansing the body, you'll eventually have to also jump into a shower anyway. That is a lot of water down the drain, literally.

The Benefits Of Cold Showers Vs. Ice Baths

Chrome bath tap and water flowing from shower head. Cold showers have shown to have some of the same benefits as an ice bath.

Chrome bath tap and water flowing from shower head. Cold showers have shown to have some of the same benefits as an ice bath.

One option that could save water and still give us some of the benefits of an ice bath is a cold shower. Some health professionals have argued that a cold shower can't match the deeper benefits of a plunge in an ice bath.

But UCLA Health states that cryotherapy in the form of a cold shower can reduce symptoms of depression, boost immunity to the common cold, improve circulation, increase metabolism, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

On the other hand, health.com suggests that an ice bath has the same benefits. With the added benefit of hydrostatic pressure from immersion in the ice bath.

According the website, hydrostatic pressure provides more oxygen and nutrients to your major organs than exposure to the cold water alone. In that respect, there is an extra benefit to an ice bath over a cold shower.

But there may also be extra risks. Including cold-induced rash, increased breathing, higher heart rate and higher blood pressure. More extreme risks of ice baths include frostbite, hypothermia, and nerve damage.

How An Ice Bath Affects The Body

If you are considering a cold plunge, this video shows what happens to the body during the process. It explains what to expect, what benefits you can't get from a old shower, and safety precautions specifically with the ice bath.

The video also explains that you can get some of the same cryotherapy benefits of an ice bath by simply dunking your hands in ice water.

Health Risks And Water Waste

For professional athletes who need cold water immersion therapy for muscle building and repair, ice baths make sense. For the rest of us, cold showers or hand-dunking should be able to suffice. Especially considering the extra risks that can come from ice baths.

And for Las Vegas residents, specifically, if we're just looking for the benefits that we can get from either form of cryotherapy, why waste the water?

SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: If you are considering either a bath or shower form of cryotherapy, please talk to your doctor first. There are increased risks with either especially for people with hives, heart or lung conditions, or Raynaud's syndrome (health.com).

But even for those without known health issues, everyone should tell their healthcare provider that they are considering either of these options before trying them out.

Want more from this author? Check out her home page.

More Nevadans Are Hitting The Web For Health Info

In general, more Americans are heading to the worldwide web to get their health questions answered and to diagnose the symptoms they are experiencing. Have you visited a website recently to get health information?

More Nevadans Get Health Information From The Internet

According to a recent study by RegisteredNursing.org, the question: "What is RSV?" receives the most searches on the internet. Furthermore, Las Vegans ask the question, "What are the most common allergy symptoms?" The Google search data for this study is from February 2022 through February 2023.

Obviously, as we all age, we tend to have more questions about our overall physical health. Moreover, many people have questions about diet and which types of exercise are best for us. Even our mental health is a major concern for many. However, before we head to the doctor's office, we are picking up our smart phones or opening our laptops and asking these questions on internet search engines. Well, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than heading to the doctor's office or to urgent care to access that health information.

More Americans Are Self-Diagnosing

As a matter of fact, the study also shows that more of us are self-diagnosing. Symptoms that we are experiencing are being researched on the web quite often. I know I am guilty of that. In addition, I know my wife looks up a health question almost daily. It is actually a behavior she is trying to curb because it just scares the heck out of her. In effect, many of those health websites will tell you that you could be suffering from illnesses as simple as the common cold. Or you may have a form of cancer. Yikes! It is practically impossible to correctly self-diagnose your symptoms. That is why doctors and nurses perform tests that can help determine your illness.

With all that in mind, here's a list of the Top 8 health-related questions in the U.S.A. between February 2022 and February 2023 based on Google search data. Have you searched any of these items recently?

Kidney Stones

Health: Kidney StonesPornpak Khunatorn via Getty Images

I have had good friends who have had to deal with kidney stones, and the stories they tell me about the pain they go through were enough to scare me into drinking more than the recommeded 8 glasses of water a day. Small stones can pass without notice, but if they grow to be more than 5mm, they can be extremely painful, and may cause other symptoms such as blood in your urine, vomiting, or pain when urinating.

High Blood Pressure

Health: High Blood Pressurestefanamer via Getty Images

High blood pressure is sometimes known as "The Silent Killer" because there are not really any noticeable symptoms of hypertension in most people. However, the long-term effects of high blood pressure may result in more serious complications. I won't go through those possibilities because that's as scary as some of those health info websites that give you the worst case scenario. Suffice it to say, get your blood pressure checked often, and if it is high, consult a physician.

Heart Attack Symptoms

Health: Heart Attack Symptomseternalcreative via Getty Images

This is something I have been concerned about since I was a teenager. My father died from a massive heart attack when I was 14-years old, and ever since, anytime I feel a chest pain, that thought goes through my mind. When heart disease runs in your family like it does in mine, it is best to consult a physician, advise them of your family's medical history, and follow their advice.

Concussion Symptoms

Health: Concussion Symptomsprivetik via Getty Images

My best guess is that most of the people doing internet searches on concussions were parents who's children play sports. When we were growing up back in the day, we called it "getting your bell rung." But, the science of concussions has improved a great deal since then, and coaches should no longer be telling young athletes to "walk it off" or "cowboy up" and get back in the game.

Anxiety Symptoms

Health: Anxiety SymptomsAntonioGuillem via Getty Images

We have all been through a lot over the past three years with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. As things begin to return to normal, there is still a great deal of anxiety about getting COVID, getting back into the workforce, and of course, financial anxiety. That's probably why this topic was searched so often.

ADHD Symptoms

Heal;th: ADHD Symptomsdragana991 via Getty Images

Once again, it is a good bet that parents are the ones performing this search most often, although adults are known to suffer from ADHD as well. ADHD, or "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder," affects less than 10% of children according to Wikipedia.com. However, when kids don't pay attention in school or cannot focus long enough to finish their homework, parents may assume their child has ADHD, even if they do not. There is an entire series of tests that need to be performed in order to correctly diagnose ADHD.

Diabetes Symptoms

Health: Diabetes SymptomsYelizaveta Tomashevska via Getty Images

According to Wikipedia.com, as of 2019, it is estimated that approximately 463 million people around the world suffer from either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Wikipedia.com goes on to point out that your family history has a great deal to do with being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Obesity, lack of exercise and genetics are the major risk factors which lead to suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Get your blood sugar levels checked during your annual physical and follow your physician's advice.

Flu Symptoms

Health: Flu SymptomsZinkevych via Getty Images

This is the biggie! Searches for flu symptoms almost doubled the number of searches for the number two health-related question in the survey. It's no wonder, considering the early start to the flu season last autumn, the concerns over RSV, and dealing with the regular list of influenzas we have dealt with for years. And then there's that COVID-19 thing that is still hanging over our heads. This will probably be the #1 most searched health-related topic in the coming year too.

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Wendy Rush is the midday host on one of Vegas's top stations, 96.3 KKLZ. She has been with the station for ten years and comes with a diverse career background. In addition to being a radio host, Wendy has lived the Vegas life as an entertainer. She has been a celebrity impersonator, rock band singer, and improv comedian. As a content creator for 96.3 KKLZ, Wendy writes about music, celebrities, mental health and wellness, and life as a Las Vegas local.