Alternative medicine is often recommended for those who wanted natural treatment to their illnesses. That's also due to the fact that many studies and reports have shown that conventional medicine can be harmful to our bodies.
According to India Times, there is a new and natural way to combat respiratory ailments. This treatment uses salt as the key ingredient. Will this type of treatment work?
Over the past years, alternative and natural medicine received a lot of attention because of the wide range of choices and options that they offer. Recently, one fad therapy became popular - Halotherapy.This therapy has been sought by numerous people for over a decade.
It is just as simple as breathing in salt and they said that this natural treatment relieves respiratory problems and makes the person feel calm and refreshed.
Jamsheed Mehta, a salt therapy professional said that the treatment is in an air-conditioned room with halogenerators that give off purified air. These generators pump pure dry salt and the patients will simple inhale the salty air. The inflammation of the lungs are reduced and it is being cleansed by simply exposing their skin and lungs. She added that Salt is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory; it loosens mucus and helps one to breathe better. After each session the air in the treatment rooms is replaced with fresh air that is pumped in.
These so called salt therapies claim to lower down the risk and symptoms of asthma, sinusitis, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, cough and cystic fibrosis. It also lessens the patients' use of inhalers and other antibiotics. Patients themselves have testified that just after a few sessions of the therapy, they said that their breathing easier, sneezing problems became manageable and shortness of breath or coughing disappears. Another benefit of this therapy is the increase resistance of respiratory tract diseases.
The big question is how much salt does one need to inhale in order to help and how much is harmful? Dr Vijay D'Silva, medical director at a hospital said that there is no evidence to support the claim of salt therapy being good for asthma. In fact, inhaling salt solution could actually induce asthma attack. Since it is natural, it is not so harmful.However, what is important is that the humidity and temperature in salt caves or treatment rooms should be optimum -around 30% humidity for better absorption. In one session that lasts 45 to 60 minutes, one breathes 1,100 times thereby reducing the inflammation of lungs and opening up the airways enabling oxygen to reach each corner of your lungs.
