What Is a Natural Hotspring?
We know that hot springs are caused by geothermal activity, but what exactly does that mean ?
Iceland is located on the meeting place of two diverging tectonic plates. This ridge is called the Mid- Atlantic .
Volcanic activity is very common along tectonic rifts. Since there is so much volcanic activity, water is often heated under the ground, and this is called geothermal activity. Hot springs are caused by this geothermal activity.
The divergence of the plates causes the volcanic activity, and the hot springs are the end result. The hot springs may seem to pop up in random places, but their locations are far from random. Their hot water sources and origins can usually be traced.
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Where Are Hotsprings Located?
Geysers, fumaroles (also called solfatara), and hot springs are generally found in regions of young volcanic activity. Surface water percolates downward through the rocks below the Earth’s surface to high-temperature regions surrounding a magma reservoir, either active or recently solidified but still hot.
Benefits of Soaking In Hot Springs
Soaking in the mineral-rich water of the hot springs has many benefits to several systems of the body. From your head to your toes, you’ll experience a wide range of benefits with your dip in a hot spring.
Heal Skin Problems
Soaking in hot springs can be a great way to naturally detox your skin. Thanks to the high amount of silica in the water, it can also soften rough or dry skin. Plus, the mineral content of sulfur springs has been shown to help persisting skin conditions like psoriasis, acne and eczema.
Relieve Pain
An Israeli study found that hot mineral baths may aid in pain relief and fatigue caused by widespread pain. This is because the heat which can dull our perception of pain by blocking the pain receptors in our bodies. Also being buoyant in the water often allows for freer movement as the water supports the body’s joints.
Reduce Stress and Promote Sleep
The mineral water in hot springs can also help reduce stress by relaxing tense muscles. Meanwhile as your body temperature rises in the bath, and then cools once you exit can also help you relax and fall into a deeper sleep.
Improve Circulation
While soaking in any hot body of water will alter your blood pressure, the minerals in hot springs, such as calcium and sodium bicarbonate, are great for improving circulation. Lowering your blood pressure will help you sink into a more relaxing state.
Minerals Found In Natural Hotsprings
While the benefits of some hot springs come from microorganisms that live within, most hot springs are so beneficial because of their high mineral content.
Since different hot springs have water that flows through different locations and areas of the Earth, the mineral content and quality will vary.
While many feel that the hot springs may feel like they are magical, the healing benefits are purely in the mineral-rich water itself.
Here are some of the minerals that are commonly found in hot springs:
Sulphur: Treats respiratory problems and dermatitis
Calcium: Boost blood circulation and increase oxygen flow
Potassium: Promotes skin health and helps remove toxins from the body
Magnesium: Helps to clear acne and blemishes and keep skin glowing
Sodium: Helps regulate the lymphatic system and reduce pain and inflammation in tender joints
Risk Of Hotsprings
Soaking in hot water of mineral springs causes a rise in heart rate. Rapid heart rate rise might lead to a drastic drop in blood pressure shocking the body and this can lead to lightheadedness, fainting, and even cardiac arrest.
Soakers should also avoid natural hot springs that are especially hot, which can cause severe burns. Water can also sometimes carry invisible hazards, like staph bacteria, arsenic and even a deadly amoeba that enters the nose and eats the brain – though in Oregon those remain rare occurrences.
Tips To Safely Soak in Hotsprings
Stay hydrated. Dehydration can set in faster while soaking in hot springs. …
Get out and take breaks. …
Avoid alcohol and other drugs. …
Avoid scalding hot water. …
Reconsider if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition. …
Consult a doctor if you’re pregnant. …
Don’t soak with open wounds. …
Obey closures and warning signs.
Spa and thermal baths: the difference
Thermal baths like spas also exploit the benefits of water to offer therapeutic treatments. The peculiar feature, however, lies in the type of water used. In fact, the thermal baths exploit the hot waters that flow directly from the subsoil, their vapors and the resulting muds. These are waters particularly rich in minerals and precious gases for the health of the skin, joints and respiratory tract.
Combined with mud and clay they are able to fight inflammation, cellulite, rheumatism and wrinkles.
Wellness center: the difference with spas and thermal baths
Even in the wellness centers there are treatments that take advantage of the benefits of water but unlike spas and thermal baths, there are also other services entirely dedicated to relaxation and well-being of mind and body. Among the additional services that can be found in a wellness center, but which are not generally present in a spa, there are certainly:
Massages
Beauty treatments for face and body
Chromotherapy treatments
Aromatherapy treatments
Halotherapy treatments
Vinotherapy treatments
The main difference between spas, wellness centers and thermal baths therefore lies in the type of services offered. If on the one hand we have in fact the spas, which necessarily must be equipped with facilities aimed at offering medical therapies, on the other hand we have places more focused on body care and relaxation.
In any case, these are structures entirely dedicated to relaxation and well-being of the person.
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