COPD and Salt Therapy

What is COPD?

COPD – in full, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – is a slowly progressive, chronic lung disease that makes breathing difficult. The essence of the disease is that the airways narrow and the lungs’ air reserves decrease. There are two main forms: chronic bronchitis, where the bronchial mucosa is chronically inflamed and produces excessive mucus, and emphysema, where the small air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) are damaged.

The most common cause is smoking – about 80–90% of people with COPD are current or former smokers. It can also be caused by air pollution, inhalation of workplace dust and chemicals, or, less commonly, genetic factors. If you smoke and have COPD, the most important step you can take is to quit. This won’t cure existing damage, but it can halt further decline.

Symptoms of COPD

The disease begins slowly and often goes unnoticed. For a long time you may think you just have a “smoker’s cough” or that you’re simply getting older. Warning signs include a persistent cough, especially in the morning, when thick, hard-to-clear mucus is produced. Shortness of breath initially occurs only with heavier physical exertion, but later can appear during everyday activities—walking, getting dressed, talking.

As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen. Typical signs include chest tightness, wheezing, and the so‑called “barrel chest,” when the front‑to‑back diameter of the chest increases. During acute exacerbations symptoms suddenly get worse and hospitalization is often required.

How is COPD treated?

COPD is not curable, but with appropriate treatment symptoms can be controlled and disease progression slowed. Basic treatment consists of bronchodilator inhalers that help widen narrowed airways. In more severe cases, anti‑inflammatory steroid inhalers are used. In acute exacerbations, antibiotics and oral steroids may be necessary.

Pulmonary rehabilitation—which includes breathing exercises, conditioning exercise, and education—has been proven to improve quality of life and exercise capacity in people with COPD. In advanced cases, oxygen therapy may be required. This is where complementary therapies, including salt therapy, come into play.

What is salt therapy and how does it work in COPD?

Salt therapy—or halotherapy—is a natural method based on inhaling salty air. The idea is that you breathe in tiny, micron‑sized salt particles that penetrate deep into the airways and have beneficial effects on lung function. You can learn more in the article Salt Therapy and Halotherapy: A Guide to Airway Health.

According to information from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Semmelweis University, the size of salt particles determines how far they reach in the airways.¹ Particles between 0.5 and 5 microns reach the lower airways, down to the bronchi—which is key for COPD, since the disease causes its main problems there.

How can salt therapy affect COPD?

The mechanism works on several levels.

Mucus clearance ▼

Salt particles, by their osmotic effect, attract water to the airway mucosa. As a result, the thick, sticky mucus—one of the biggest problems for people with COPD—thins out and becomes easier to cough up. Think of trying to rinse a jar of honey with cold water—it’s hard. But if the honey is diluted, it washes away easily. Salt therapy does the same to airway mucus.

Inflammation reduction ▼

Salt has an anti‑inflammatory effect. Recent research shows that halotherapy inhibits activation of the so‑called NLRP3 inflammasome—a key inflammatory pathway in COPD.² A 2023 Chinese animal study found that salt therapy reduced levels of inflammatory factors (TNF‑α, IL‑1β) and improved lung function in rats with COPD.²

Cilia activation ▼

Salt therapy may help the function of airway cilia. These tiny hairs are responsible for sweeping inhaled contaminants and mucus out of the lungs. In COPD these cilia are damaged and slowed. Salt therapy can help restore their function—this is called improving mucociliary clearance.

What do scientific studies say?

It’s important to be aware of what scientific studies claim and where their limitations lie. Salt therapy is not a miracle cure and does not replace medical treatment—but as a complementary therapy it may have beneficial effects.

Effects of salt therapy on COPD symptoms

In practice, many people with COPD report several benefits from using salt therapy. The most commonly reported effects are the following:

Easier mucus clearance is one of the most noticeable changes. The thick, sticky sputum that you might previously have coughed for hours becomes thinner and easier to expel with salt therapy. This provides substantial relief, especially in the morning when COPD patients usually have the most mucus.

Breathing becomes easier is another common experience. Although salt therapy does not directly dilate the bronchi like bronchodilator medications, by helping remove mucus and reducing inflammation it can indirectly improve breathing.

Reduction in exacerbation frequency is also observed in some patients. Regular salt therapy can help keep the airways clearer, potentially lowering the risk of infections and acute flare‑ups.

Improved overall well‑being should not be overlooked. When you breathe more easily and struggle with less mucus, your overall quality of life improves—you sleep better, can be more active, and worry less about the disease.

Different salt therapy methods in COPD

There are several forms of salt therapy, and it’s important to know which might be best for you.

Natural salt caves—like the Turda Salt Mine or the famous Wieliczka in Poland—have been used for healing for centuries. In the 1840s, Polish physician Feliks Boczkowski first observed that salt miners rarely suffered from respiratory diseases. The advantage of salt caves is the natural, clean environment with constant temperature and humidity. The downside is that you need to spend weeks there, which is not always feasible with COPD.

Artificial salt rooms try to replicate the conditions of salt caves. In Hungary, the salt chamber of the Szent Gellért Bath in Budapest holds a special place.¹ In the inhalatorium established at the same time as the bath in 1918, patients inhaled a nebulized salt solution (table salt and baking soda in water) producing 0.5 micron droplets for 15–20 minutes. Currently it is closed for renovation, with reopening expected in 2028.

Home salt therapy devices, such as the SaltDome, make regular daily use possible at home. This is especially important in COPD, because most studies showed results with regular, longer‑term treatment—and not everyone can attend salt rooms several times a week.

The role of salt therapy in COPD management

Think of salt therapy as an additional tool in your toolbox. Your prescribed medications dilate the airways and reduce inflammation. Salt therapy helps with mucus loosening, airway cleaning, and supporting overall airway health. Together they are more effective than either alone.

The “four pillars” of COPD management look like this: first, quitting smoking if you still smoke. Second, pharmacological treatment (inhalers). Third, pulmonary rehabilitation (breathing exercises, physical activity). Fourth, complementary therapies, including salt therapy.

Possible side effects

Side effects of salt therapy are generally mild and transient. The most common is a mild cough in the first days—this is actually a good sign, indicating that mucus is loosening and starting to move. Some people initially experience mild throat irritation.

With COPD, you may cough more and expectorate more mucus in the first few days. This is a normal reaction—the purpose of salt therapy is precisely this. However, if symptoms persistently worsen, you experience increased shortness of breath, or develop a fever, stop the treatment immediately and consult your doctor.

Practical tips for people with COPD

If you start home salt therapy, here are some practical tips for effective use.

Detailed guides by condition

If a specific disease or condition interests you, read our detailed guides, where we present the possibilities of salt therapy supported by scientific research:

• Sinusitis and salt therapy – Get rid of your sinusitis →
• Asthma and salt therapy – Natural breathing support →
• Cystic fibrosis and salt therapy – Mucus clearance and breathing support →
• Common cold, flu and salt therapy – Faster recovery →
• Hay fever and salt therapy – Relief of allergic symptoms →
• Post‑pneumonia recovery – Salt therapy as a complementary treatment →
• Snoring and salt therapy – How it can help free breathing? →
• Dermatological issues and salt therapy – Complementary treatment for eczema and psoriasis →