HELLO HALOTHERAPY

Halotherapy

A brisk walk along the coastline and breathing in fresh ocean air, is a sure fire way of making your feel invigorated and refreshed. But breathing in salty air does much more for you than just making you feel great, it can also help with a lot of different common ailments and symptoms too.

Halotherapy is a form of alternative medicine which has been around for centuries and is named after the Greek word for salt. In simple terms, it is a therapy that uses salt vapours to treat all manner of things, such as respiratory ailments, skin irritations, and combatting mental lethargy. In the past, monks used to visit natural salt caves to treat respiratory ailments without really knowing how it worked. But nowadays, experts have analysed it and realised that salt is anti-bacterial, has anti-inflammatory properties and is also mucolytic, which means it can help to loosen mucus and phlegm, which is probably why the monks found it so effective.

Inside & Out

Nowadays, years of research has shown that halotherapy can have beneficial effects for those who suffer with asthma, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), cystic fibrosis, allergic rhinopathy or hay Fever, ear infections, various acute or chronic respiratory diseases, smoker’s cough, viral infections, chronic ear-nose-throat illnesses and common coughs and colds. But the list does not stop there, as salt is also extremely beneficial to your skin too and can help with skin complaints such as acne, psoriasis, neurodermatitis and eczema.

Calmness & Clarity

In the past, people had to travel great distances to visit natural salt caves or bath in salt water spas, but nowadays both wet and dry salt treatments are available locally. Salt lamps have been around for a while and many people use them in office spaces or around the home, as they are said to produce negative ions which can cause your body to release more serotonin and create a feeling of clarity or calmness, which in turn, can help with everyday ailments such as stress, headaches, lethargy and depression. But now salt treatments are available on a much bigger scale, as manmade salt baths and caves are becoming all the rage.

Salt Caves

A salt cave is a room constructed from salt, specifically for the purpose of providing dry halotherapy treatments. Usually the salt used in its construction is a pink mineral that comes from the Himalayas and contains around 84 trace elements, which also have additional healing properties. Inside the cave, the temperature is cool and the air is free of humidity. It also contains a device called a halogenerator which grinds salt into microscopic particles and then releases them into the air in the room. These minute particles are then inhaled deep into the lungs and are said to absorb irritants, including allergens and toxins, from the respiratory system.

Salt Baths

Like salt caves, people have been searching out natural salt spas for centuries. The victorians were especially fond of popping off to the coast for a few weeks, to “take the waters” and achieve a sense of well being. Nowadays, you can often find one in your local spa or even on some high streets. A salt bath, works in the same way as the salt cave does, but istead of breathing a fine salty mist, you relax in a bath of salt instead. The salt particles are said to have a similar effect on the skin by absorbing bacteria and impurities which are often responsible for many skin conditions, so soaking the skin directly in the salt can have a natural cleansing and healing effect as well as being extremely relaxing and calming.