To take or not to take that whiff of salt?

A few experts believe that when salt is inhaled it only does good to your system. Salt therapy finds its roots in Europe, as Polish physician Felix Boczkowski learned that men working in salt mines had fewer respiratory problems, tracing it back to the inhalation of salt dust. A handful of centres now offer the therapy in India. One such is Dr Pradeep Waghmare’s Salt Cave Asia in Pune. Sodium chloride can treat respiratory and skin illnesses such as asthma, hay fever, cough, bronchitis, rhinitis, colds, influenza, along with many others, he says. “Salt by nature is an antibacterial and an anti-inflammatory agent. It loosens excessive mucus, clearing the respiratory tract, and also fights allergies.”

However, a number of homeopathy doctors, ayurveda practitioners and general physicians we spoke to were unaware of the therapy and its side effects on people. “I’m not 100 per cent sure, but inhaling excessive salt can have negative effects on a person suffering from hypertension,” says Dr Pradeep Gadge, an MD in medicine.

In defence, Dr Waghmare expresses that the amount of salt inhaled is harmless. “The quantity of salt used is very small. Using under 0.2g a day when the so-called harmful amount would be 16mg a day is okay. I have treated patients suffering from high blood pressure, and they have not been affected,” he says.

Having suffered for 10 years from psoriasis, a condition characterised by itchy and scaly patches of skin, Ravikumar Kannhiya, a 53-year-old from Pune, got help from salt therapy after exploring a variety of medications. He says, “After 20 days of undergoing (salt therapy) sessions, my skin began to clear and there was a visible difference.”

After a personal positive experience with the therapy, Mumbai based couple Lyla and Jamsheed Mehta opened ‘The Salt Escape’ a wellness therapy centre in the city. Jamsheed, a businessman suffered from allergic rhinitis also known as hay fever, where the body is over-sensitive to dust and dust mites. “I’d go through non-stop sneezing, sore throat and blocked sinuses, and often end up with infections leading to the flu. After a course of 15-20 sessions, my condition improved.” The duo say, the results of may take some time.

How it’s done

During the therapy, one has to sit in a room covered in salt and breath in fine salt particles, present in the air. Some of these centres have special rooms for children with television sets and Wi-Fi facilities for adults. Each session of an hour costs around Rs1,500 - Rs2,000. As people give the therapy a try, one must keep in mind that it is still relatively new and in its experimental stages.