Respiratory Conditions
Salt halotherapy is an effective tool for treating a wide range of respiratory conditions with a surprising degree of success. This, of course, is in addition to the many skin health benefits salt halotherapy offers, as well as the mood and overall well-being benefits people who utilize this relaxing form of therapy experience.
Perhaps the most surprising benefit of all, especially to those who have never before participated in salt halotherapy, is the immunity boost it provides to help your body fight off future illnesses and infections. Few types of therapy offer the total package you can experience with salt halotherapy. These are a few respiratory conditions for which halotherapy can be highly effective at treating.
Relieves Respiratory Conditions Like Asthma
People with asthma experience attacks in which airways narrow and swell, producing excess mucus. During an attack, people may experience coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. Salt halotherapy doesn’t offer a cure for asthma. Instead, it supports better lung health, thins mucus, and reduces inflammation, helping to free your airways of congestion and reducing the frequency and intensity of asthma attacks.
How Dry Salt Therapy Works:
Dry Salt Therapy consistently demonstrates a dramatic positive effect on asthma symptoms. Over a series of sessions, inhalation of dry salt aerosol will bring about the improvement of mucociliary clearance and decrease of bronchial inflammation, the decrease of elimination of pathogenic microorganisms, and a reduction of bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
This translates into better lung function, fewer spasmodic attacks, and clearer air passages. Naturally, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory sodium chloride particles are carried into the deepest recesses of the bronchial system due to the unique aerosol dispersal system and the microscopic size of the particles.
In controlled studies, most of subjects showed reduced bronchial obstruction, better drain function of the airways, and improved viscosity of bronchial secretions. The number and intensity of asthma attacks was reduced, and respiratory discomfort decreased or disappeared, which allowed most to reduce or even eliminate prescribed medications.
Tackling Allergies & Hay Fever with Salt Therapy
People with respiratory conditions such as allergies experience massive immune system reactions after exposure to many common substances, including:
- Pollutants
- Pollen
- Pet dander
- Food
People experience immune reactions to this exposure in different ways. Some through skin inflammation and others through digestive reactions, sinus reactions, or airway restriction. In extreme cases, called anaphylaxis, reactions occur instantly and are severe. It may even cause death if not treated promptly with epinephrine. Salt halotherapy is not recommended for extreme allergies but may greatly reduce symptoms, particular skin and sinus symptoms, of seasonal (known as hay fever) and other types of allergies.
Cough, Cold, and Flu Respiratory Conditions
Cough, cold, and flu respiratory conditions often involve symptoms that include excessive mucus production, difficulty breathing, sneezing, and other problems affecting the ears, nose, throats, and lungs. Not only does salt halotherapy work to thin mucus production, but also helps to boost your natural immunity so that you fight off colds and cases of flu more effectively and recover more quickly if affected by these conditions.
How Dry Salt Therapy Works:
Dry Salt Therapy has an immediate remedial effect on the symptoms of colds and flu. Breathing becomes easier as inhaled salt aerosol naturally absorbs edema from swollen air passages and thins mucus secretions so that drainage is easier. The dispersal system of microscopic salt particles used in this therapy allows the salt aerosol to be taken deep into these cavities, bringing the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actin to the root of the problem. Relief from the irritation of sticky mucus secretions and debris, as well as the antispasmodic effect produced by calming negative ions, calms and quiets coughs.
Equally important is the sterile, isolated treatment environment, free from exposure to any external challenges, which give the immune system the chance to reassert itself in this supportive atmosphere and initiate a healing process. Additionally, the deep cleaning the sinus cavities and respiratory tract inherent in this type of treatment reduces the toxic load on the immune system, regardless of external exposure. A series of Dry Salt Therapy treatments not only help to relieve and heal a current cold of flu episode but increases resistance to new infections for months in the future.
Treating Sinusitis with Salt Therapy
Sinus infections can be quite miserable to those experiencing them. Nasal passages become inflamed. Mucus builds. Breathing through your nose becomes difficult. You may even have a throbbing headache and facial pain, too. Halotherapy helps to reduce inflammation and thin mucus so that it drains more efficiently, allowing you to breathe better. It also helps to boost your immunity assisting you in a faster recovery.
How Dry Salt Therapy Works:
Relief of edema from swollen tissues widens passages, improving drainage and increasing aeration behind the tympanic membrane, reducing infection in the pockets where bacteria often build due to collected fluid. Relief from sinus infections is also achieved through deep penetrating dry salt particles. The negative charge of halo-aerosol particles causes them to be literally drawn in to the essentially positively charged environment of inflamed and infected sinus cavities. Relief is achieved quickly as mucus secretions become thinner and to can drain properly, removing trapped pockets of debris and bacteria. The ionic particles also stimulate the immune system, increasing the body’s innate ability to resist further infection as the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties reduce the current episode. This can significantly reduce the use of antibiotics in chronic sufferers of ear and sinus infections.
Respiratory Conditions Like Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis respiratory conditions can cause massive damage to the lungs, digestive systems, and other organs. It is particularly devastating when it comes to the excessive production of mucus and other fluids. Rather than thin, watery substances, mucus is much thicker in those with CF and can cause disruptions in essential airways. Dry salt therapy does not cure CF. However, it can be instrumental in thinning mucus and reducing swelling and inflammation in respiratory airways and nasal passages so you can breathe easier.
How Dry Salt Therapy Works:
Dry Salt Therapy has proven to be an invaluable resource for sufferers of cystic fibrosis. The hydrophilic and mucokinetic action of inhaled salt particles thins unnaturally thick and sticky mucus, clearing accumulated secretions and unclogging passages in the bronchi and bronchiole. Other benefits are the absorption of edema from the mucosa lining of the airways and the reduction of inflammation in the respiratory tract and sinuses.
The extremely viscous nature of mucus secretions in patients with this disease often causes a buildup of bacteria. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the effects of salt therapy on cystic fibrosis patients, “The results of our trial were revolutionary. We saw a sustained improvement in lung function, a major reduction in the number of lung flare-ups, a reduced need for antibiotics to treat flare-ups, and fewer days off school or work due to illness.”
Treatment for Ear Infections
Ear infections are particularly painful occurrences caused by viruses or bacteria that result in swelling and the buildup of fluids in the middle ear. Children are more susceptible to ear infections though they can affect adults as well. Salt therapy is a surprisingly successful treatment option for ear infections because it works as a natural preservative and disinfectant. More importantly, it thins mucus (and slows production), including mucus production in the eustachian tubes of the middle ear.
COPD – Chronic Bronchitis – Emphysema
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, causes a wide variety of respiratory conditions and symptoms including:
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing
- Mucus production
- Wheezing
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
Dry salt therapy reduces inflammation, thins mucus, and promotes the prompt removal of toxins from the lungs to help relieve these symptoms. More importantly, the tiny salt particles, once breathed in, work to sort of scrub or filter your airways.
Salt Therapy for Respiratory Conditions Like Coronavirus
We are constantly learning new things about the treatment and transmission of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus. We do know that it is a virus that primarily affects the lungs and overall respiratory health. There have been few studies, as of yet, as to how effective salt therapy can be for treating coronavirus, though it is often used to treat or reduce many of the symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Salt Therapy Association (STA) Founding Director Dr. Daniel T. Layish, M.D., a 20-year veteran Pulmonologist and Board Certified in Pulmonary Disease recently said "It’s too early to tell what impact halotherapy may have with this strain of the coronavirus, however this coronavirus does affect the respiratory and lung system and dry salt therapy has shown to provide symptomatic benefit such as in clinical studies conducted that focused on patients with cystic fibrosis. While there is no need to be overly concerned at this time, being proactive and taking care of your respiratory system is becoming more important than ever before". According to the STA, dry salt therapy is antimicrobial which means it kills some microorganisms or stops their growth.
Halotherapy is provided by sitting in an environment where 99.99% pure grade sodium chloride is ground by a device called a halogenerator into micron-sized particles that are then dispersed into the salt room or salt therapy environment as a dry salt aerosol. This pure dry salt aerosol is then inhaled and penetrates deep into the respiratory system as well as through the surface layers of the skin. According to Dr. Layish, "While the pure grade sodium chloride is antibacterial, people should be aware of their surroundings and the CDC is a good resource of information such as ensuring you are washing your hands and cleaning surfaces.
Just Breathe Salt Therapy Wellness Spa’s Halotherapy Services
At Just Breathe Salt Therapy Wellness Spa, we understand how any of the respiratory conditions listed above can cause great discomfort and worse. In some cases, these conditions have lethal results. While salt therapy isn’t a cure for most of these conditions, it can greatly reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of individual suffering. We are here to help answer any questions you have about salt halotherapy and how it can be used to treat your individual respiratory condition.