Salt cave therapy is based on the salt caves and mines of Eastern Europe. In the 1800s, a Polish doctor noticed that the workers mining in these caves, breathing in the micro-sized salt particles as they chiseled the walls, received many health benefits (via the Salt Therapy Association). He noted that the miners had great respiratory health, which was an anomaly considering that most miners had breathing issues due to their working environments. Another German doctor in the early 1900s also noted the respiratory health benefits the people working in the salt caves received.

Why do salt caves offer so many health benefits to our lungs? Salt helps reduce inflammation and is also antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial, per Float State. The salt draws out toxins from the lungs, decreases inflammation, and clears the airway. Additionally, you also absorb the minerals in the salt while breathing the micro-particles. Some of the minerals in salt include iron, potassium, sodium chloride, magnesium, and calcium.

Halotherapy may help relieve asthma, allergies, sinus inflammation, coughs, and respiratory infections. However, always consult with your doctor or provider before trying halotherapy to treat any condition.

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