What Are The Health Benefits Of Salt Therapy?

While it’s common to think of salt as something that should be vigilantly monitored in your diet, a new form of treatment is emerging that goes to show salt actually has some virtues to offer. The benefits of salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, are said to extend all the way from our respiratory system to our ability to control and enhance our mood.

But how does salt therapy work, and what are some more of the health benefits of salt room therapy? Let’s find out.

What Is Salt Therapy?

While salt has been a valuable commodity and medical resource for hundreds, if not thousands of years, in terms of modern, medical-use of salt therapy - we need only look back two centuries. 

The origins of modern salt therapy trace back to Eastern Europe in the 19th century, where a Polish doctor noted that employees of the nearby salt mines did not suffer common respiratory problems at the same rate as the general population. This doctor hypothesised that as the miners worked, they were inhaling microscopic particles of salt, which helped them with a number of potential health problems.

The first salt therapy device was created by a Ukranian research institute in 1991, and replicated the same phenomenon as the salt miners. Inside the room, salt was crushed and dispersed in microscopic particles, where the users inhaled it. As Ukraine opened its doors with the fall of the Soviet Union, salt therapy steadily made its way around the globe as an alternative, yet seemingly effective form of treatment for respiratory, skin and even psychological illnesses.
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How Does Salt Therapy Work?

Salt therapy is a natural form of treatment that involves the inhalation of salt-rich air, and is seen as an effective treatment for respiratory problems, skin conditions, mood regulation, hay fever, sinusitis and even assistance with anxiety, stress and sleep problems. Research suggests that the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory nature of salt inhalation is a natural form of treatment for common illnesses, and is a valuable form of alternative treatment.

Salt room benefits can be unlocked with either a dry or wet method. The former, sitting in either a salt therapy room or something akin to a dry salt cave, allows the user to inhale salt-rich air that is broken down by a halogenerator. These salt caves are usually around 20°C, and have zero humidity, where the user sits inside for around thirty-to-forty minutes. 

The wet form of salt therapy or halotherapy involves either partially ingesting or bathing in salt-rich water, that allows our bodies to soak up the benefits. This includes either gargling salt-rich water or ingesting a small amount of salt mixed with water, or more typically, bathing in a large volume of water that is rich in salt. Float tanks are one of the more common examples of wet salt therapy in action, as well as nasal sprays used by individuals with sinusitis or hayfever.

What Is Salt Therapy Good For?

Research suggests that as the salty air is inhaled, this air is able to target allergens and toxins lurking inside our respiratory system. A 2007 study published in Pneumologia found that salt therapy was effective for individuals suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who reported having fewer related symptoms after being treated with halotherapy.

Some even claim that the health benefits of salt therapy extend to reducing inflammation in our bodies and can even absorb a number of bacteria that cause skin conditions like eczema, acne and psoriasis. These anti-inflammatory claims have been backed up by 2014 research that found salt therapy represented an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen treatment for those with either asthma or bronchitis.

In terms of regulating our sleep cycles and our mood, advocates say that the health benefits of salt therapy extend to its ability to increase serotonin levels; the chemical responsible for our positive emotions. They say that due to the fact that salt produces negative ions, this exchange, in theory, results in our body releasing more serotonin.

The HaloOne™ can be mounted inside your Clearlight® sauna and will dispense a full spectrum of salt particle sizes. 

What Are The Health Benefits Of Salt Room Therapy?

The primary health benefits of salt room therapy can be found in the claims of respiratory improvements, particularly for individuals suffering from asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and hay fever. These health benefits are said to be the result of salt-rich air targeting impurities, toxins and pathogens inside our respiratory system, which allows our body to more easily expel them and clean out our airways. This is also said to tackle snoring while we’re asleep.

The anti-inflammatory health benefits of salt room therapy are said to extend to skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, while the antibacterial effects of salt therapy are said to increase our immune system and reduce the chance of catching a cold or a flu.

As we mentioned earlier, advocates of salt therapy say that negative ions inside salt-rich air accelerate the rate in which our body produces serotonin, the powerful regulator of our mood and happiness levels. Peer-reviewed research backing up these claims, however, is limited.

How Long Does Salt Therapy Take To Work?

It’s said that the health benefits of salt therapy can be unlocked in a single session. Depending if you’re opting for the wet or dry method of salt therapy, you may notice improvements in your respiratory system, skin quality or even mood in the immediate period after a visit to a salt therapy room or clinic. It’s recommended that you stagger your salt therapy treatments into small, but regular treatments, to minimise the chance of an adverse reaction from a salt overload.

HaloOne™ has a free-standing design meaning that you can take your salt therapy from the sauna to any environment. 

Can Salt Therapy Be Harmful?

In terms of salt therapy being harmful, the only real consideration is that it should not be recognised as a primary form of treatment. It’s essential to remember that salt therapy is a form of complementary treatment that should not replace any medication you’re taking, or constitute a primary form of treatment for respiratory conditions or mood disparities.

It is not recommended that pregnant women inhale salt-rich air for a prolonged period of time, largely due to the fact that most salt rooms vary in their concentration of salt-rich air. Remember to always hydrate your body before spending time in a salt room or sitting in a salt bath, and remember to monitor your body for any adverse reactions while you’re inside.

How Can I Find A Salt Therapy Device To Use At Home? 

If you would like to get a salt therapy device you can use in the comfort of your own home, please contact us for more information on our HaloOne™ device here.