Everything old is new again: from the cave to the clinic
October 10, 2023
WRITTEN BY: LALWANI URVISHA CLASS OF 2027
Halotherapy -An Ancient Natural Ally in the Management of Asthma. Halotherapy proved its benefits in asthma diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and may represent a reliable therapeutic addition to the allopathic treatment, due to its ecological and environment-friendly nature, in order to prevent or prolong the time to exacerbations in patients with asthma.
Modern medicine's growing production is now recognized as a new cause of environmental contamination. The scientific community is interested in creating alternative, environmentally friendly treatments for chronic respiratory diseases like asthma.
An Old-Fashioned Natural aid in the Treatment of Asthma is Halotherapy. Halotherapy has demonstrated its benefits in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of asthma and may be a trustworthy therapeutic supplement to allopathic medicine.
People look for such alternatives because of:
(1) Being unhappy with conventional treatment in some way;
(2) they believe alternative treatments give them personal autonomy and control over their health care; and
(3) these alternatives are thought to be more in line with the patient's values, worldview, or beliefs about the nature and significance of health and illness.
WHAT IS HALOTHERAPY?
The therapeutic environment of halotherapy, which is an alternative medical technique that involves breathing within a cave and is sometimes referred to as speleotherapy when carried out in caves, is comparable to that of a naturally occurring salt cave.
To improve the respiratory health-related quality of life, naturally crystallized salt is inhaled through aerosols or directly from the environment.
Halotherapy may provide benefits beyond the placebo effect for persons with obstructive lung illnesses, according to the American Lung Association. He hypothesizes that salt vapor inhaled by patients would thin down mucus, assisting them in exhaling sputum. Thus, it can be applied to the treatment of respiratory conditions as cough, bronchitis, and asthma
HISTORY OF HALOTHERAPY
Halotherapy has been practiced for ages in a variety of forms. In salt rooms resembling spas, halotherapy is frequently practiced
The first recorded reference of spa resorts is from Poland in the 12th century, where people were advised to take mineral baths. Halotherapy's modern history begins in 1843, when a Polish doctor by the name of Feliks Boczkowski popularized the concept after seeing that salt mine employees, in contrast to that of other miners, did not experience respiratory or lung issues.
Since the 1950s, asthma treatment facilities have been built in areas with natural karst caves, salt tunnels and mines, most notably in Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, and Poland.
FORMS OF HALOTHERAPY
It includes:
• Saline solution inhalations
• Dry salt aerosol inhalations
• Irrigation and lavage
• Saline and brine baths
• Crenotherapy.
TYPES OF HALOTHERAPY
Most salt therapy is performed in salt
chambers, which can be active, passive, dry, or moist /wet
• An Active salt chamber:- In this space a device called a halogenerator is placed, to which salt is added. The machinery disintegrates the salt into minute particles that are circulated throughout the space.
• A passive salt chamber:- Several kinds of salts, including Himalayan salt, are present throughout the space. With controlled humidity and temperature, it resembles a salt cave.
• Salt therapy with dry air:-This form is referred to as halotherapy. With the aid of a halogenerator, it is carried out in salt rooms. This enables the tiny, dry salt granules to disperse in the air and then it enters in lungs and skin.
• Moist salt treatment:- This entails drinking salty water, gargling with it, or inhaling salty water through nose. It also requires a steam bath in salty water rich with minerals.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF HALOTHERAPY
Halotherapy has been shown in studies to help with allergies, skin issues, and respiratory ailments. It also acts as:
• Mucoactive
• Antibacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Immunity-boosting
• Anti-allergic
Additionally, COVID-19-related breathing issues can be treated with halotherapy, which will help you breathe better and get more oxygen into your blood. Halotherapy can be utilized to cure a variety of conditions, according to research, because of its beneficial features:
• Lung infection
• Inflammation of throat
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Smoking-related breathing problems
• Respiratory allergies
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Cold or cough
• Pneumonia
• Sinusitis
• Rhinitis
• Tonsillitis
• Cystic fibrosis
The minuscule salt flakes used in procedure can also aid in skin cell renewal and shield it from aging and infection. This therapy is effective in treating:
• Acne and rosacea
• Skin allergies
• Rash
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Dermatitis.
• Fungal infections
RISK OF HALOTHERAPY
As nasal passages are clearing out, which could cause coughing and increased mucus production. There can be some adverse effects of halotherapy. You may sporadically get pink eye, conjunctivitis, or skin allergies. Halotherapy must be avoided if following conditions are present:
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypertension
• Tuberculosis
• Heart problems
• Respiratory failure
• Blood disorders
• Infectious diseases
• Fever
• Open wounds
• Malignant tumors
• Claustrophobia
CONCLUSION
Since halotherapy has demonstrated good efficacy and safety, it is desirable to combine it with commonly established treatment protocols in clinical settings to lower the drug burden, including the requirement for decongestants. Halotherapy also aids in the early restoration of the nasal cavity's functional status.
