The best spas in Britain. Order your copy now.

I have a heart condition and have been told to avoid heat treatments when I go to a spa. Why?

It's because both wet and dry heat put extra stress on your heart and circulation.

When you enter a sauna or steam room, the temperature of your body gradually increases. In reaction, your body increases the blood flow to your skin, and the blood vessels beneath your skin dilate, which is why you may look pink or red. Getting the blood to the outside of your body encourages heat loss through the skin and will help to cool you down.

Another way your body copes with heat is by sweating. Sweat keeps you cool when it evaporates from the surface of your skin, taking some heat with it. In extreme heat, your heart rate rises and your blood vessels expand to let more blood reach the surface of your skin. As your deep body temperature rises, your body reacts by increasing the amount of sweat it produces, which may lead to dehydration.

In humid environments, the sweat cannot evaporate as easily, so cannot cool you down as effectively. In dry heat, you may lose a lot of fluid very quickly. This decreases your total blood volume and places an extra burden on your heart and circulation. The combination of dehydration and loss of blood from the central nervous system can lead to collapse.

If you have a heart condition, it is also important that you do not use facilities that involve a sudden change of temperature, for example having a hot sauna and then plunging into a cold bath. If you want to use spa facilities, contact your doctor in advance to discuss the types of heat treatment, as the milder forms may still be okay. But only your doctor can advise you on this. Depending on what heart condition you have, and how severe it is, your doctor will give appropriate guidance.

* Can I have complementary therapies at a spa?

* I have high blood pressure, is it safe for me to have heat treatments?