Halotherapy, your ally in the fight against stress?

Halo in the word halotherapy has its origins in the Greek word for salt, halos. As early as the 19^th century, doctors in Eastern Europe discovered the health benefits of salt. They noticed that the miners working in the traditional salt mines rarely suffered from respiratory problems or other diseases. While halotherapy is not a curative treatment, it may help alleviate respiratory symptoms up to 85% and could also be a supportive treatment for allergies.

These days, many of us are constantly chasing our tails and/or suffer from stress. While a little bit of stress is harmless, chronic stress results in an increased risk of all kinds of health problems. Salt therapy is a natural treatment method recognised as having potential benefits for certain skin conditions and respiratory problems but so far, very little research has been done into its effects on stress. 

That said, scientists suspect that halotherapy may reduce stress because it regulates breathing, which automatically makes you feel more relaxed and helps you sleep better. Halotherapy opens up your airways, allowing you to breathe in more oxygen. It also reduces phlegm, which means fewer night-time coughing fits and so, less disrupted sleep.

The vibrations in the salt room have a relaxing effect on your body and this triggers the production of more serotonin, a mood-boosting hormone.

Finally, it is also quiet in a salt room (or there may be calming music playing softly in the background) and it is a low-stimulus environment. Unsurprisingly, then, spending half an hour in this room is wonderfully relaxing.