Dry or Wet Salt Therapy: Which Is Better?

How does it work?

The salt therapy is based on salt's antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and toxin-removing properties. Salt particles help cleanse the airways, reduce allergic reactions, alleviate symptoms of skin problems, and promote easier breathing and overall well-being.

Types of salt therapy

Wet salt therapy is based on applying salt dissolved in water. The saline solution is used in various forms, for example:

• a salt bath, which helps relieve skin problems and provides general relaxation;
• rinsing or irrigation with saline solution, which can help cleanse the nasal and oral mucosa as well as the throat;
• gargling with saline, which can aid oral health.

These methods allow the saline solution to come into direct contact with the body, enabling the direct use of salt's beneficial effects.

Dry salt therapy, also called halotherapy, is based on dispersing fine salt particles into the air and inhaling them. Salt caves, salt rooms, and halogenerators allow the salt particles to penetrate deeply into the airways and skin pores, thereby supporting the treatment of respiratory and skin problems. Dry salt therapy is particularly effective at cleaning the deeper parts of the airways and relieving breathing problems.

There are two types of halogenerator:

• high-performance and rather expensive equipment used by hotels, wellness centers and premium salt rooms to produce large amounts of salty air;
• low-power, affordable devices specifically designed for home, everyday use. This group of devices is colloquially referred to not as halogenerators but as "salt therapy devices."

Dry or Wet Salt Therapy

I recommend wet salt therapy more for wellness purposes.

Favoring dry salt therapy is justified for several reasons. For example:

1. Deeper airway penetration: The fine salt particles used in dry salt therapy can penetrate deeply into the lower airways (in the case of wet salt therapy the saline solutions do not actually enter the body). Therefore dry salt therapy is more effective in treating respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and upper respiratory allergies.
2. Lower droplet infection risk: Dry salt therapy uses little or no water, which reduces the risk of spreading bacteria and viruses. This is especially advantageous in enclosed spaces such as home salt therapy.
3. Release of negative ions: During dry salt therapy the salt released into the air ionizes and emits negative ions. These improve air quality, neutralize pollutants and allergens, unlike in wet salt therapy where this phenomenon does not occur.
4. Easier home application: Dry salt therapy devices, such as the SaltDome ultrasond salt therapy device, are easy to use in a home environment. There is no need to cover room walls or install large specialized equipment.

Home use of salt therapy

The home salt therapy in its dry form is becoming increasingly popular because it better fits home needs and possibilities, and effective, home-sized devices are available at an affordable price.
In the past salt therapy was mostly accessible only in salt caves or at the seaside. Today, however, effective devices exist for home salt therapy, such as the SaltDome ultrasond salt therapy device.

Wet salt therapy at home

Salt baths: Dissolve a handful of Parajd (Transylvanian) or Himalayan salt in warm bath water. A salt bath can help treat skin problems, relax and aid detoxification.

Saline rinsing: Prepare a saline solution (one teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water) and use it to rinse the nasal and oral cavities. In this case gargle and rinse with the saline. This can ease sore throats and mucosal swelling, help cleanse the throat and nasal cavity, and improve oral health.

Dry salt therapy at home

Salt lamps: Salt lamps have no demonstrable health benefit. Salt crystals do not "jump out" of the salt block by themselves. However, they can contribute to creating a pleasant atmosphere in the home and ultimately to well-being. But in the case of a respiratory disease it would be foolish to expect any therapeutic effect from a salt lamp sitting in the corner.

Salt pipe: Salt pipes are small, portable devices that contain pure salt. When you inhale through the pipe, salt particles enter the oral cavity and throat. The disadvantage of salt pipes is that a small child cannot use them skillfully, and their use is cumbersome; you cannot breathe through them for long periods.
It is important to know that the salt particles from a salt pipe are large in size and cannot reach the lower airways of the lungs, so they have limited effect on middle and lower airway problems – for these, home halogenerators, i.e. salt therapy devices, are much more effective.

Halogenerator: Purchasing a home halogenerator (salt therapy device) allows you to create your own salt therapy room. These devices typically use an ultrasond nebulizer and release microscopic salt particles into the air, so they are highly effective close to the device, and effective salt therapy conditions can even be established in a smaller room.

Which should I choose?

Home salt therapy devices (salt pipe, Salin, Libairator) blow salt particles from a salt cartridge into the air. You inhale this and it reaches the airways. Salt is an osmotically active substance, meaning it draws water from the mucosal cells. These devices therefore dry out the airways, which can worsen the condition.

The Saltdome device eliminates this flaw. Using an ultrasond cell it produces very low-humidity salty air from a saline solution. The salt particles emitted from the device are accompanied by water molecules, which prevents mucosal drying and therefore, in my opinion, the Saltdome is more effective than other devices.