: Salt therapy can tackle the rising incidences of respiratory problems in the Delhi/NCR, say experts.
“Salt therapy can provide relief to asthma patients and those with other respiratory illnesses,” says Dr. Animesh Ray, consultant pulmonologist, Fortis, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.
People undergoing the treatment are made to sit in rooms and breathe in salty air. Brought in by Salt Room Therapy (SRT) India, the facility is available at their centres in Saket and Rajouri Garden. The pocket pinch is Rs.1,000 or more.
Dr. Ray adds that dangerously high levels of pollution in the NCR region have taken a toll on people.
“Not just the elderly and children, but youths and apparently healthy people are also falling prey to the rising pollution. With the onset of winters, when respiratory problems aggravate due to smog, salt therapy can provide symptomatic relief to patients,” he said.
Salt therapy goes back to 1843, when a Polish health official observed that the miners at the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland did not suffer from the same kinds of respiratory illnesses that were common in the general population. Soon, Halotherapy salt rooms started gaining popularity in eastern Europe.
According to experts, the effects of the therapy last for several months. In fact, a full regimen of sessions gives asthma patients relief for extended periods of time, that too without any side effects.
“Salty air absorbs edema from the mucosal lining of the airways, which is caused due to inflammation. This helps in normalising the passage of air through the bronchial tubes, leading to widening of the airway passages, restoring the normal transport of mucus and unclogging blockages in the bronchi, thereby controlling asthmatic attacks,” says Dr. Varsha, consulting doctor at SRT India.
People undergoing the treatment are made to breathe in salty air
