The healing properties of salt have been known for many centuries. No wonder salt mines were guarded almost more carefully than gold mines. After all, this substance is able not only to improve taste sensations, but also to treat certain diseases. Over time, such abilities of salt have not only not been forgotten, but they are also widely used in medicine. One of the most widely used areas is the salt cave, reviews of which patients and doctors are most positive.
What it is?
If someone thinks that a salt cave can only be of natural origin, then this opinion is erroneous. Now, such premises can be built by revealing the room with salt blocks. A type of therapy based on the inhalation of salt vapors is most often called halotherapy, although other terms are also used: speleotherapy, speleoclimatotherapy, sylvinite speleotherapy.
Some experts draw a line between these types of treatments. However, their similarity lies in the fact that salt caves provide doctors with completely special air saturated with salt aerosol. In underground caves, such an atmosphere is created naturally. In rooms that mimic natural reservoirs, the air is saturated with particles of salt.
All other factors of the air environment that characterize salt caves (benefits and harms, reviews will be discussed later), such as humidity, temperature, etc. - are auxiliary in nature.
What is the benefit of this treatment?
As an alternative to taking medications, salt caves are considered by doctors reviews when pathological processes appear in the respiratory system. This is especially important at the initial stage of the disease. When it comes to chronic bronchitis in remission, the lack of air exchange - here halotherapy will help stop the disease. It is only important that pulmonary failure is not higher than stage 2.
Bronchial asthma in the stage of incomplete remission or during the period of acute extinction is also indicated for treatment in a salt cave.
This type of therapy has been used quite successfully for skin diseases of the kind such as boils, eczema of various origins, and lichen. Interestingly, a salt cave also positively affects people with different hypertensive abnormalities. Indications and contraindications, reviews of doctors - it all comes down to the fact that saline air can significantly improve blood circulation.
Many patients will be interested to know that losing weight with a salt cave is also quite realistic. Stabilization of metabolism, digestive processes, general recovery allow the body to start the processes of fat burning.
For whom is halotherapy harmful?
Among the great mass of positive opinions, there are also negative factors that salt caves possess. Reviews, contraindications prohibit the use of this type of therapy for those patients who suffer from any bronchopulmonary diseases in the acute stage. The use of halotherapy is unacceptable to people who currently have a fever or general intoxication of the body.
A separate topic is tuberculosis. Not only the acute stage, but even residual changes in lung tissue are a contraindication to the fact that a salt cave is used for treatment (reviews and opinions of all experts on this issue are the same).
Also, halotherapy courses are not prescribed for those who are diagnosed with emphysema (regardless of stage), hypertension (stage 2-3), coronary insufficiency, any kidney disease. The procedures for any bleeding, neoplasms are strictly prohibited.Specialists do not recommend visiting salt caves for those who are addicted to alcohol, drugs and suffer from attacks of claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces).
Pregnant women and halotherapy
For future mothers, a real panacea for all problems is a salt cave. Indications and contraindications, reviews of doctors, of course, indicate for pregnant women, therefore, before starting therapy, it is important to consult with your doctor. However, the air environment of the salt room is quite capable of ridding a woman of manifestations of early toxicosis and edema (unless they are associated with kidney diseases), mood swings and pain in the back.
It is possible to eliminate or at least alleviate problems with the spine (again, if they are not associated with bone diseases), relieve periodically occurring pains in the abdomen, suppress excessive nausea and reduce dizziness.
If it is not possible to visit a salt cave or a room, you can install a salt lamp at home indoors, after consulting with your obstetrician-gynecologist.
"The salty sea, the salty baby ..."
For children, salt caves (doctors' reviews confirm this fact) are almost a natural energetic. The kids are in a better mood, and their optimism can infect everyone around. In addition, salt air will become an alternative to medications for diseases in children, such as any bronchopulmonary problems, diseases of the musculoskeletal system (bone fractures quickly heal), seasonal colds and rhinitis, eczema, which are allergic in nature.
In addition, halotherapy will be a worthy way out of the situation when the baby often has mood swings and nervousness, there is a place to be increased emotional excitability and aggression. Indeed, in such cases, antidepressants are already heavy artillery, and before using it, it is worth trying to get by with less traumatic means for the child’s health.
Elderly patients
Patients of advanced years should be guided by the presence of diseases in which it is unacceptable to use such therapy as a salt cave. Reviews of doctors see contraindications in the presence of acute inflammatory processes and neoplasms in patients, severe heart failure, and blood diseases. If all this is not available, the procedure will help the elderly in the prevention of many diseases (primarily the respiratory system), in normalizing the processes of transporting oxygen to the blood and brain. Lack of it (oxygen) in the brain threatens an elderly person with the development of pathology leading to disruption of the central nervous system and physical activity.
Halotherapy and smoking
An attempt to quit smoking is accompanied by a whole list of physiological and psychological factors that are quite capable of provoking attacks of difficulty breathing.
In this regard, the salt cave, reviews of which are mostly positive, will help normalize the functioning of the respiratory system. Inhalation of air saturated with salt vapors can clean the airways of even the most heavy smoker, reduce the number of pathogens. Restoring immunity (both general and local), improving blood microcirculation, relieving stress, normalizing the psycho-emotional background - all these factors will shorten the period of rehabilitation and adaptation to a healthy lifestyle.
Opinion for
Most experts and patients agree on whether salt caves are effective. The benefits and harms (reviews of all those who accepted the procedures are unambiguous) are simply incomparable. It is only harmful to those who have contraindications. But there is nothing to be done about it: it is forbidden - it means forbidden. For everyone else, the benefits and positive effects are unconditional.Patients used halotherapy to restore immunity and strengthen the musculoskeletal system, to accelerate postoperative rehabilitation and recovery from seasonal diseases. In all cases, this type of therapy has shown its best side.
In addition, a salt lamp installed in one of the rooms of the house disinfects the air in the entire house no worse than quartz radiation. But if in the process of quartzization only all microorganisms die, then the salt lamp will saturate the air in the room with ions of chlorine, sodium and other important and useful elements.
Negative reviews
There is a small group of people (most of them are doctors) who are not so negative, but, let's say, skeptical of this type of therapy, like a salt cave. Indications and contraindications, patient reviews - this, of course, is objective information obtained during the treatment. However, it is impossible to compare being indoors with a salt lamp and being on the sea coast, inhaling salty air. According to this group of people, halotherapy is not a tool for improving health, but nothing more than a “psychological aid”, that is, a placebo effect.
However, nobody canceled it? If a person feels better and easier (even if he convinced himself of this at a subconscious level), then the treatment method that uses the salt cave (patient feedback is a direct confirmation of this) justifies itself and has the right to exist.
