Salt Therapy

Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy or speleotherapy (cave therapy), is one of humanity’s oldest natural remedies. The ancient Greeks already observed its beneficial effects — Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recommended inhaling salty water vapor when suffering from breathing difficulties. However, the method’s scientific observation began in the 1800s, when Polish physician Felix Boczkowski noticed that workers in the Wieliczka salt mine had remarkably few respiratory ailments.

Mechanism of Salt Therapy

When you inhale salty air, microscopic salt particles enter your airways. Depending on their size, the salt particles reach different depths in your lungs. For example, the coarse, dry particles from salt pipes deposit in your pharynx, so their effect is limited to upper respiratory conditions. You can expect the best effect when you have a device that produces salt particles smaller than 5 micrometers (the SaltDome device is such). These tiny particles travel not only to your pharynx but also into the sinuses, the large and small airways, and even the alveoli. From a therapeutic perspective, the smaller the salt particle, the more effective it is.

Once the salt particles reach your airways, they adhere to the mucous membranes and attract water — this is called the osmotic effect. As a result, thick mucus loosens and becomes more fluid, making it easier for your body to clear it. This is especially important if you suffer from asthma, COPD, or cystic fibrosis, but also in cases of colds when you have nasal congestion or a runny nose.

The salt that reaches your airways also acts as a natural disinfectant. The same thing happens here as when you preserve meat with salt: salt draws water out of bacteria, leading to the pathogens’ destruction.

In addition, salt acts as a natural antihistamine, reducing mucosal swelling and inflammation. If you suffer from allergies, you’ll particularly appreciate this effect.

Importance of Treatment Duration

The effectiveness of salt therapy greatly depends on how much time you spend in the salty air. Think of it like vacationing at the seaside — you don’t feel the beneficial effects after just one hour on the beach, but after a few days. The more time you spend in the salty air, the more salt particles reach your airways, and the stronger the therapeutic effect. For optimal results, you need several hours of treatment per day, preferably continuously for several weeks.

Limitations of Built Salt Rooms

While built salt rooms offer an excellent opportunity for salt therapy, you may encounter several practical challenges. A typical session lasts only 45-60 minutes, which is not enough to achieve maximum therapeutic effect. Moreover, each session costs between 1000 and 3000 forints, and an effective course requires at least 10-15 sessions. If you want to go with your family, this becomes a significant expense. You also have to travel for regular treatments, which requires additional time and cost.

Modern Solution - a "Salt Cave" at Home

A home salt therapy device offers a solution to these problems. You can use it while you sleep, ensuring long treatment times. With a one-time purchase, you can use it for several years, and your whole family can benefit. There’s no need to schedule appointments or travel — just turn it on whenever you need it.

Applications and Safety

Salt therapy is excellently suited for a wide range of respiratory issues. If you suffer from asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergies, or other respiratory diseases, you can experience significant improvement. The method is completely natural and extremely safe. There are no known contraindications or harmful side effects, and you can safely use it even if you have high blood pressure. Just think: millions of people living on the seashore are exposed to salty air for decades, yet it doesn’t cause health problems.

Salt therapy is thus a safe, natural, and effective way to treat and prevent your respiratory problems. Its greatest advantage is that it’s free of side effects and can now be used in your home. Regular, long-term use is key to success. As a complementary therapy, it can work excellently alongside medical treatments, significantly improving your quality of life and reducing your respiratory symptoms.

Salt therapy is equally effective for both children and adults! For mild symptoms, salt therapy alone can improve your condition. In cases of severe symptoms or more serious diseases, use it as a complement to medical treatment — it alleviates your symptoms, stimulates your immune system, accelerates recovery, and reduces the amount of medication needed.

Respiratory Conditions

• cold, flu, influenza
• prevention of croup
• acute and chronic sinusitis
• acute bronchitis
• chronic obstructive bronchitis (COPD), emphysema
• persistent dry cough (especially at night or after physical activity)
• mucus buildup in the airways (e.g., cystic fibrosis)
• respiratory allergies, airway edema
• tonsillitis (acute tonsil inflammation)
• mucosal inflammations, pharyngitis
• pneumonia (start salt therapy only a few days after the acute onset!)
• smoker’s cough, shortness of breath

Skin Conditions

• allergies caused by industrial, household, plant, and animal substances
• eczema
• psoriasis
• neurodermatitis

Salt Therapy for Preventing Recurrent Colds and Allergy Flare-ups

One of the primary uses of salt therapy is the prevention of upper respiratory infections and allergic diseases.

In spring, autumn, and winter, the fluctuating damp-warm weather favors the development of colds, influenza, sinusitis, bronchitis, etc. In workplaces, people “pass” pathogens to each other, which then “come home” and spread through the rest of the family.

A recent study by the Otolaryngology Clinic of Semmelweis University confirmed that those who received preventive salt therapy while in good health did not catch respiratory diseases or did so significantly less often.

The same applies to allergies triggered by spring-summer-autumn pollens. Start salt therapy 1–2 weeks before the allergy season to prevent symptoms or significantly reduce their intensity.

So, during critical periods, use salty air therapy to prevent recurrent illnesses.