Cold plunge safety: which health conditions actually matter? Not looking for "consult your doctor"
I've been trying to figure out how I should answer questions that people ask me about health conditions in regards to how they might affect them when they cold plunge, and if they should worry about it enough to take pause. I'm not trying to give anyone medical advice, and I'm not in a position of authority (nor pretending to be), but I do have experience with cold plunging, having done it for 3 years nearly daily, and I do get asked a lot of questions. And, I certainly recognize that this does not make me any sort of expert on cold plunging with specific health conditions, thus the question about what is and what is not contraindicated for cold plunging.
I actually have high blood pressure (regulated with medicine), and have wondered at times how that effects me when I cold plunge, so that one is relevant to me, but I want input on several of the common questions that pop up regarding - "Can I cold plunge if I have X" - X being high blood pressure, arrythmias, Raynaud's, Diabetes (is the main issue here circulation and neuropathy?), on certain medications (like blood thinners, beta blockers, antidepressants, etc.).
I keep finding the same two answers everywhere: "just ease into it", or "talk to your doctor."
Neither response really answer the question, though, and it’s driving me nuts.
I don't want to hear responses like just ignore your doctor, because I do believe if you have a serious question about cold plunging and contraindications as it relates to your health, you should consult your doctor. If you have any of the above conditions, or ones that I haven't mentioned that would be germane to the discussion, and you cold plunge safely, or it made you stop cold plunging (or you have modified in some way how you do it), I would love to hear about it. I'm just trying to learn what the actual risks are of cold plunging, without a generic disclaimer for every condition. There must be some nuance than just cold plunging is dangerous if you have a medical condition. And if anyone here actually works in medicine, I'd definitely be interested in your take too.