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- What is salt therapy?
- How does salt therapy work?
- What are the conditions and ailments that can be treated by salt therapy?
- Is Salt Therapy safe for children?
- How many sessions does a person need to take / how often do you need a session?
- What should be worn when receiving treatment at The Salt Suite?
- When should salt therapy be avoided?
- What about the concern that salt is bad for you?
- Are there any side effects?
- Should you stop taking medication when receiving salt therapy?
- How sterile is the salt room—could someone pick up germs?
- What kind of salt is used?
- What will my experience be like in the salt rooms?
- Can electronics be brought into the salt rooms?
- Is there research to support salt therapy (halotherapy)?
- Do you get the same effect from going to the beach?
1. What is Salt Therapy?
Salt Therapy, also called halotherapy, is a holistic method that recreates the microclimate of a salt cave. Dry salt aerosol is dispersed into a room where the walls and floor are covered with layers of salt. A negative ion and antibacterial environment is created by the layering of salt on the walls and floor. The dry salt aerosol is a key factor in the relief of symptoms for many health problems including respiratory and skin conditions. Please refer to our About Salt Therapy section for more information.
2. How does Salt Therapy work?
A machine called a halogenerator grinds salt to the size of 1-5 micrometers to produce a dry salt aerosol. The generator is placed on the outside wall of the salt room. While sitting in the room for 45 minutes the fine salt aerosol is able to travel to the deepest part of the lungs in addition to other parts of the respiratory tract. As salt enters the lungs and respiratory tract it dissolves bacteria and pollutants and works to expel mucous and open constricted airways.
3. What are the conditions and ailments that can be treated by salt therapy?
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Breathing difficulties / chest tightness
- Bronchitis / Chronic bronchitis
- Colds & Flu
- COPD
- Ear infections
- Eczema
- Hay fever
- Pneumonia (post-acute)
- Psoriasis
- Rhinitis
- Sinusitis/sinus inflammation
- Smoker’s cough
- Snoring / Sleep Apnea
- Stress and fatigue
- Wheezing
4. Is Salt Therapy safe for children?
It is definitely safe for children. There are no potential harmful effects. The treatment is completely natural and in fact, children often respond to treatment faster than adults. At The Salt Suite, we have both an Adult and Children’s therapy room. Children can play with books, puzzles, and toys while receiving the benefits of salt therapy.
5. How many sessions does a person need to take / how often do you need a session?
This varies widely among individuals, and the condition being treated is a big factor. Some conditions and milder symptoms will improve or dissipate within just a couple of sessions. You may have some relief after one session; however, for the best results we recommend a series of treatments. Those with chronic conditions most likely need to come twice a week for the first 6-8 weeks. Those who come for stress relief and relaxation simply come as often as they like. For many conditions, after a series of sessions, symptoms subside and relief can last for several months before another session is needed. It can also be used as a preventative measure to strengthen the immune system against colds, cough, allergies, and sinusitis.
6. What should be worn when receiving therapy in The Salt Suite?
Basically, you want to be comfortable. Loose clothing that you can relax in is best. If you have a skin condition you may want to wear something that exposes more skin. For those without skin conditions such as (dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis)...these conditions are not contagious and cannot be passed from one person the other. The salt in the air will not harm or be noticeable on your clothes. You will be given disposable shoe coverings to slip over your feet or shoes. For children we request that they come in clean clothing and socks and that long hair be pulled back in a ponytail.
7. In which cases should Salt Therapy be avoided?
Halotherapy is not recommended for individuals with the following conditions:
- Existence or suspicion of cancer
- Any kind of infectious disease
- Acute respiratory disease
- Cardiac insufficiency
- Cardiac and coronary diseases
- COPD with 3rd stage of chronic lung insufficiency
- Coughing of blood/bleeding
- Infections accompanied by fever
- High blood pressure/hypertension in IIB stage
- Any form or stage of tuberculosis
- Intoxication
- Chronic kidney disease
- All internal diseases of decompensation
8. What about the concern that salt is bad for you?
Consuming too much salt is linked to high blood pressure. With salt therapy, you are inhaling a dry salt aerosol which only enters your respiratory system not your digestion tract. The salt particles are so fine that even if you were to eat that amount it would not pose a risk to your health.
9. Are there any side effects?
Typically there are none. Few individuals have experienced a slight throat tickle which can be treated with gargling warm to hot water. In cases with an individual that is highly sensitive they can experience slight skin irritation or red patches; however, they go away after a few sessions. If you experience increased coughing due to mucous buildup that means the salt therapy treatment is working. This is the body’s way of draining the mucous buildup.
10. Do you need to stop taking medications if receiving salt therapy?
No. It is fine to continue your medications as you need and as directed by your doctor. Since salt therapy is all-natural it does not have any interactive effects with medications. Often, individuals who undergo salt therapy will find that they are less dependent on certain medication and that their symptoms are less frequent and less severe.
11. How sterile is the salt room – could someone pick up germs?
Salt naturally absorbs bacteria. The walls and floor of the rooms at The Salt Suite are covered with salt which creates an almost sterile environment. In addition, our ventilation system works throughout the entire session to circulate the air in the room, exhausting used air out and clean, fresh air in. There is no recycling of air back into the salt rooms. Chairs, tables, toys, books, and magazines are wiped down frequently.
12. What kind of salt is used?
Only the finest quality dry salts from the Dead Sea are used. See our Benefits of Dead Sea Salt page for more information. In addition, we have pharmaceutical grade salt that can be used in conjunction with Dead Sea salt.
13. What will my experience be like in the salt rooms?
You will enter a room where the walls and floor are covered in layers of salt. In the adult suite you will have comfortable recliners to relax in. The lights will dim and you can choose to listen to relaxing music, read a book or magazine (reading lights will be available to you), meditate, or simply rest. The temperature and humidity in the rooms are controlled to provide an optimal experience. You will find pure relaxation and tranquility away from your everyday stress leaving you rejuvenated and fully energized. The children’s suite is designed to bring fun and enjoyment with toys, books, and puzzles while they receive their salt therapy treatment. All sessions will be 45 minutes. You will notice a faint trace of salt on your lips after the session.
14. Can electronics be brought into the salt rooms?
Please feel free to bring your IPod, IPad or MP3 player into the salt rooms. The salt rooms will have internet access. We encourage that you place it in a pocket or under a piece of clothing as we are not responsible for any damaged items. We do not recommend you bring any form of electronic that has a fan attached. NO CELL PHONE CONVERSATIONS PERMITTED AND ALL CELL PHONES MUST BE ON SILENT (NOT VIBRATE) AT ALL TIMES IN THE SALT ROOMS. The Salt Suite is not responsible for any damaged electronics inside the salt room.
15. Is there research to support Salt Therapy (halotherapy)?
Salt therapy has been researched and studied in both Russia and Eastern Europe. Take a look at our Research page to view the clinical trials and studies done to support salt therapy.
16. Do you get the same effect from going to the beach?
While going to the beach and breathing in the ocean’s salt air is great for the body, salt therapy takes that feeling to a whole new level. The effects of breathing in the dry salt aerosol in our salt rooms are far greater than that of breathing in wet air from the ocean. Dry salt is able to move through both the upper and lower respiratory tracts where wet salt can only reach the upper airways. Dry salt is negatively charged, therefore, able to revive cilia and speed up its motion. The cilia line our respiratory tract and are covered by a layer of mucous. When a foreign particle such as dust is inhaled, the job of the cilia is to beat causing the mucous to travel towards your mouth so it can be coughed out. Salt therapy speeds up that process and in some cases where that process is non-existent it works to get it started.
If you have any questions not answered above, please call us at 561.316.SALT (7258) and we will gladly answer them. Thank you for your interest in The Salt Suite.
