Last week, I lost my uncle to complications from lung disease—what we now classify more broadly as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). It’s a term that encompasses a wide spectrum of progressive lung conditions, from chronic bronchitis to emphysema and asthma. Watching him struggle to breathe was heartbreaking. I often found myself wishing he’d had access to far infrared sauna therapy—not necessarily as a cure, but as a gentle, supportive way to ease his suffering.
COPD is a growing epidemic:
According to the NIH, it’s now the third leading cause of death in the United States, impacting over 16 million Americans with millions more undiagnosed.
COPD presents with classic symptoms: breathlessness, reduced oxygen intake, chest tightness, and a persistent, often debilitating cough. Over time, the condition causes the airways and lung tissue to deteriorate, making everyday activities—walking, talking, laughing—deeply exhausting. While medications and oxygen therapy remain standard treatments, there is promising evidence that far infrared sauna therapy (FIR) can help.
Infrared therapy offers gentle, whole-body support:
By improving circulation, opening up the airways, and encouraging detoxification, FIR can reduce airway inflammation and make breathing easier for COPD sufferers.
A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease found that when far infrared sauna therapy was combined with conventional treatment, patients showed significant improvements in lung function. This included higher vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, and forced expiratory volume—all indicators of better pulmonary performance.
The study’s findings were clear:
Participants who received infrared therapy experienced greater improvements than those in the control group receiving standard therapy alone.
Far infrared heat penetrates deeply—without the high humidity or overwhelming temperature of a traditional sauna. It encourages gentle perspiration, increases circulation, and promotes parasympathetic (rest-and-repair) nervous system activity. For those living with COPD, these effects can mean less tightness in the chest, improved oxygen exchange, and even better sleep quality.
For those battling breathlessness:
Infrared heat therapy may offer daily moments of peace, comfort, and relief in an otherwise difficult journey.
Of course, no treatment should be pursued without the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional. But if you or someone you love is navigating the daily challenges of COPD, it’s worth exploring the healing potential of far infrared sauna therapy—not as a replacement for conventional treatment, but as a powerful complement to it.
I only wish my uncle had the chance to experience it.
