Salt Therapy and COPD

The World Health Organization defines chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a life-threatening disease of the lungs, where airflow is chronically obstructed, thus making breathing difficult.[1] While this disease can be caused by genetics in some cases, COPD also can start from environmental factors such as smoking (causing of 95% of COPD cases in industrialized countries), air pollution, exposure to fumes in the workplace, and infections from childhood.[2] Symptoms of COPD, however, are usually not recognized by sufferers until the disease is in its later stage. These symptoms may include, but are not limited to, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chronic cough.[3]

To treat COPD, patients may be given bronchodilators and other types of treatments that also help with asthma.[4] To relieve other complications associated with this disease, sufferers may turn to adjuvant therapies. According to the Salt Therapy Association, an organization specializing in an adjuvant therapy that uses salt inhalation as its medium, dry salt therapy (aka halotherapy) can offer COPD sufferers relief.[5] Evidence of this claim can be found a study published by the European Respiratory Journal. In this study, researchers sought to understand if dry sodium chloride aerosol (DSCA) had any effect on patients suffering from COPD, specifically those undergoing rehabilitation therapy (RT).[6]

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited 72 patients suffering from moderate and mild COPD. These patients were then split into 2 groups: The interventional group (IG) composed of 21 males and 18 females, and the control group (CG) composed of 22 males and 11 females. Both groups underwent RT. This therapy consisted of breathing exercises, chest massages, and exposure to radiation upon the chest. The RT was done two times a day, for 45 minutes, within a span of 14 days.

In addition to the rehabilitation therapy, the IG were to inhale dry salt, two times a day, within a room where a halogenerator was present. The CG, meanwhile, were only given a placebo. Both the dry salt inhalation, and administration of the placebo, went on for 14 days alongside the RT.

Following the 14-day RT, the researchers began measuring the effects of RT on both the IG and CG. After three months, follow-ups for both groups were given, and the effects of DSCA and the placebo were measured. In order to conduct these measurements, the researchers used three different tools: The 16-Item Short Form Survey (SF-16), the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) measurement, and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ).

It was found that, after the RT, there was a positive effect on the SF-16 scores and HRQL measurements for both groups. However, these positive effects lasted longer for the IG. Additionally, the IG were the only ones who had a positive change in their LCQ measurement, as opposed to those of the CG. From this, the researchers concluded that inhalation of DSCA benefits RT patients suffering from COPD.

Given this conclusion, those suffering from COPD might want to consider dry salt therapy as an alternative form of relief. This, however, is not to be sought after as a cure or main form of treatment. Instead, it is to be seen as a secondary means of dealing with COPD symptoms. Consult a medical professional before considering.

Sources:

[1] World Health Organization. (n.d.) COPD: Definition. World Health Organization. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/respiratory/copd/definition/en/

[2] Hansel, T.T. Kon, O.M. (2008). Global Burden and Natural History of COPD. In Barnes, P.J. Hansel, T.T. Kon, O.M. (Ed.). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). New York: Oxford University Press.

[3] American Lung Association. (2020, May 14). What Are COPD Symptoms? American Lung Association. Retrieved from: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease- lookup/copd/symptoms-diagnosis

[4] Lenz, P.H. Panos, R.J. (2014). Asthma and COPD – Overlapping Disorders of Distinct Processes? In Panos, R.J. (Ed.). COPD Clinical Perspectives. Rijeka: InTech.

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

[6] Chervinskaya, A. Chonjnowski, J.D. Ponikowska, R. Szafkowski, R. (2012). Dry Sodium Chloride Aerosol in Rehabilitation of Patients with COPD. European Respiratory Journal, 40(56), P3549