‘Salt therapy helps fight respiratory problems’

Considering the rising incidence of respiratory problems in the national capital due to pollution and winter smog, health experts have recommended new “salt room therapy” (SRT) for patients.

According to experts, salt therapy goes back to the 19th century when, in 1843, a Polish health official observed that miners at the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland did not suffer from the same kinds of respiratory illnesses that were common in the general population.

Dr Animesh Ray, consultant pulmonologist, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, said, “During winter, when respiratory problem aggravates due to smog, salt room therapy, which is a natural form of treatment, can provide symptomatic relief to patients suffering from respiratory problems.”

Explaining the therapy in medical terms, Dr Ray said salt therapy, or halotherapy, is the inhalation of extr-emely small (micronised) dry salt particles within a chamber that mimics a salt cave environment. “The concept may sound new to many, but the fact is it is already being successfully used in many countries to treat people with respiratory ailments and also some skin conditions,” he added.

Explaining the link between salt rooms and asthma, Dr Varsha, consulting doctor at SRT India, said the basic science behind salt therapy is simple — salt helps reduce inflammation that causes spasms of the bronchus. Salty air absorbs edema from the mucosal lining of the airways caused due to inflammation.

“Salt room therapy helps to normalise the passage of air through the bronchial tubes, leading to widening of airway passages, restoring the normal transport of mucus and unclogging blockages in the bronchi, thereby helping control asthmatic attacks,” added Dr Varsha.

“The therapy is a drug-free treatment for asthma, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, smoker’s and allergic cough and skin ailments like eczema and psoriasis. We are hopeful that our initiative will offer them an effective drug-free treatment option to fight the rising pollution all around us.” said SRT India founder Anju Chandna.