Salt Therapy and Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory disease that affects one’s lungs in a chronical manner. It can be triggered by a variety of infections (flu, sinusitis, etc.), allergens (animals, mold, food, etc.), irritants (smoking, dust, etc.), and behaviors (crying, exercise, etc.). When triggered, an asthmatic individual may feel tightness in their chest, begin wheezing, have shortness of breath, and other symptoms related to breathing. This is due to some of the different changes asthma causes within the lungs, such as the constriction of muscle around the airways, inflammation of the airway’s lining, or an excess of mucus further narrowing the said airways.[1]

Asthma can be treated in many ways, which can include adjuvant therapies. One of these adjuvant therapies one might consider is salt therapy. According to the Salt Therapy Association, salt therapy may not only be able to relieve individuals of issues related to colds, smoker’s cough, and bronchitis, but also those brought by asthma.[2] The American Lung Association confirms this possibility by noting that salt therapy may bring relief to asthmatics by thinning the excess mucus.[3]

However, while there is anecdotal evidence out there supporting salt therapy as a relief for asthmatics[4] , one may wonder if there is any evidence on the scientific side. In a study published by the journal Pediatric Pulmonology, researchers looked into just that.[5] Knowing that there might be effects of salt therapy upon asthmatics, the researchers sought to measure these possible effects in three different areas:

1.) Bronchial hyper‐responsiveness (BHR), which refers to an exaggerated narrowing of the bronchial tubes resulting from some sort of trigger.[6]
2.) Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), which is a molecule in human breath that is there due to airway inflammation.[7]
3.) Quality of life, which is the patient’s perceived health status measured through a set of questions.[8]

To conduct the study, the researchers selected 55 mild asthmatic children, between the ages of 5 to 13 years old. These patients were then split into two groups, with one group of 29 patients (called the “treatment group”) to receive salt therapy in a salt room with a halogenerator, and the other group of 26 patients (called the “control group”), to be given a session in a salt room without a halogenerator. This was done in a series of 14 sessions over a 7-week time period.

For the control group, who were given sessions without a halogenerator, there were no effects found. However, for the treatment group, who were given sessions with a halogenerator, the researchers did see positive effects. They had found an improvement in the BHR, as well as an improvement within most areas of the patients’ quality of life. No effects were found related to the FeNO.

From this, it can be concluded that there may, indeed, be positive effects of salt therapy for asthmatics, especially within the age range studied. While this may be true, asthmatics interested in salt therapy should always keep in mind that this is an adjuvant therapy, and not the main source of treatment. Advice, also, should be sought from medical professions before proceeding with any sort of adjuvant therapy.

For inquiries on booking a salt therapy session with EPIC Services, drop us a call or email today at (813) 898 0601 or movefreely@epicservices.co

Sources:

{1} American Lung Association. (2016). Asthma 101: What You Need to Know. American Lung Association. Retrieved from: https://www.lung.org/getmedia/269288f5-5d64-4825-a101- 08c309e02634/asthma-101-english.pdf.pdf

[2] Salt Therapy Association. (2018). Benefits of Salt Therapy. Salt Therapy Association. Retrieved from: https://www.salttherapyassociation.org/benefits-of-salt-therapy

[3] American Lung Association. (2016, June 09). Promising or Placebo? Halo Salt Therapy: Resurgence of a Salt Cave Spa Treatment. American Lung Association. Retrieved from: https://www.lung.org/blog/promising-placebo-salt-halotherapy

[4] McGree, K. (2018, January 04). Can Salt Therapy Help Your Child’s Asthma? Today’s Parent. Retrieved from: https://www.todaysparent.com/family/family-health/can-salt-therapy-help-your- childs-asthma/

[5] Bar‐Yoseph, R., Kugelman, N., Livnat, G., Gur, M., Hakim, F., Nir, V. and Bentur, L. (2017), Halotherapy as asthma treatment in children: A randomized, controlled, prospective pilot study. Pediatric Pulmonology, 52: 580-587.

[6] Grootendorst, D. C., & Rabe, K. F. (2004). Mechanisms of bronchial hyperreactivity in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society, 1(2), 77–87.

[7] Miskoff, J. A., Dewan, A., & Chaudhri, M. (2019). Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Testing: Diagnostic Utility in Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or Asthma-chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome. Cureus, 11(6), e4864.

[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, October 31). HRQOL Concepts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/hrqol/concept.htm