3 Facts About Halotherapy
1.) Halotherapy Rooms Are Exceptionally Clean
Salt mines, where the idea for halotherapy was born, are known to have a low amount of microorganisms in the air, compared to other places in the world. The microorganisms that do exist within the mines are ones adapted to salty environments. These microorganisms usually aren’t pathogenic in nature. [1] Given this, one may wonder if halotherapy clinics, which mimic the atmosphere of salt mines, have this same type of clean atmosphere too. In a review published in the Scripta Scientifica Salutis Publicae [2] , researchers point out that one of the reasons why halotherapy is effective is due to its antibacterial, antimycotic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Adding to this, the researchers then go on to state that it has been established that a salt room’s environment is cleaner than that of an operating room because of these effects.
Part of the reason of why halotherapy rooms are clean may be due to the antimicrobial properties of salt. For non-halotolerant bacteria, salt is deadly. Through osmosis, salt sucks the water out of the bacteria. As a result, the proteins in the bacteria’s body lose function, leading to death. [3] This property isn’t the only reason though. In a review, published in Balneologia Polska [4] , naturally occurring salt is said to cleanse the air of speleotherapy clinics, giving them an almost-sterile atmosphere. In turn, to mock this type of air purity, halotherapy clinics use halogenerators to produce dry sodium chloride aerosol. While being ground and dispersed, these salt particles obtain a negative charge. As a result, the salt particles connect to contaminants in the air through static, thus allowing such to settle fast to clear the air.
2.) Halotherapy Is Enjoyed By Everyone— Even Celebrities!
Debra Messing, who starred as Grace Adler in the hit television show Will & Grace, gave halotherapy a try in New York. Her experience was definitely a positive one. In an interview with Vogue [5] , she had noted that she felt better after the session. According to her, halotherapy helped her to relax and breath better.
Meanwhile, Australian actress Megan Gale, who played Valkerie in the 2015 post-apocalyptic film, Mad Max: Fury Road, underwent halotherapy with her son. [6] In a salt room based in Melbourne, Gale snapped a photo of the session and uploaded it onto Instagram. Apparently, she had decided to go there to relieve her son of congestion.
3.) Halotherapy Can Help Postoperative Patients With Vasomotor Rhinitis
Vasomotor rhinitis, also known as idiopathic rhinitis, is a type of rhinitis that is non-allergic and chronic in nature. This condition features off and on episodes of runny nose, congestion, and sneezing set off by irritants in the air. Since this condition is non-allergic, these irritants are not necessarily things that the sufferer is allergic to. Other irritants can consist of stress, spicy food, and temperature change. In order to treat this condition, professionals can offer solutions such as the use of saline and certain medications. In cases where the sufferer fails to respond to medication, surgery becomes an option. [7]
Unfortunately, those who undergo surgery for vasomotor rhinitis may experience postoperative relapses. In a study published in the journal Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult [8] , a researcher at St. Luke Lugansk State Medical University sought to see if the chances of relapse can be reduced. Seeing halotherapy as a candidate for possibly reducing relapses, the researcher aimed to investigate its effects on a given number of patients.
The patients used for the research were divided into two groups, with one receiving rehabilitation alone, and another receiving rehabilitation with the added aspect of halotherapy. The researcher found that the group who underwent halotherapy alongside their rehabilitation could breathe better and had lower amounts of swelling inside their nose. From this, it was concluded that halotherapy can be helpful for these types of patients, especially in reducing the need for decongestant medication.
Sources:
1 Gębarowska, E., Pusz, W., Kucińska, J., & Kita, W. (2018). Comparative analysis of airborne bacteria and fungi in two salt mines in Poland. Aerobiologia, 34(2), 127–138.
2 Panajotova, L. Vladeva, E. (2018). Halotherapy – Benefits and Risks. Scripta Scientifica Salutis Publicae, 4, 24
3 Davies, E. (n.d.). Why Does Salt Have Antibacterial Properties? Science Focus. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-does-salt-have-antibacterial-properties/
4 Chervinskaya, A. V. (2007). Halotherapy in controlled salt chamber microclimate for recovering medicine. Balneologia Polska, 2, 134-136.
5 Lipton, L. (2015, November 8). Is a Salt Spa the Secret to Breathing Easier This Cold Season? Vogue. Retrieved from: https://www.vogue.com/article/halotherapy-rooms-salt-spa-cold-and-flu-season- remedy
6 Rowlands, L. (2015, March 3). Megan Gale uses “salt therapy” for son’s sniffles. Essential Baby. Retrieved from: http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/baby-care/megan-gale-uses-salt-therapy-for- sons-sniffles-20150303-13tvd7
7 Asthma Respiratory Foundation NZ. (2016, April 16). Vasomotor Rhinitis (VMR). Retrieved from: https://www.asthmafoundation.org.nz/your-health/other-respiratory-conditions/vasomotor-rhinitis- vmr
8 Berest I. (2020). Galoterapiya u bol'nykh vazomotornym rinitom posle khirurgicheskogo lecheniya [Halotherapy in patients with vasomotor rhinitis after surgical treatment]. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult, 97(4), 31-36.