Recent Posts

Spitting your infected sputum into a bottle of seawater and later inhaling it seems a little gross and extreme to me… Modern technology has brought the ocean to your home via a nebulizer.

Salt Water Inhalation (also known as Hypertonic Saline) – Halotherapy: The word halotherapy comes from the Greek word halos, which means "salt". You can traces its origins to ancient Greek and Roman use of natural salt caves for health benefits. Halotherapy is a form of medicine that uses salt in a therapeutic setting, usually by inhaling an aerosol. The practice of halotherapy has been known for thousands of years. In the 12th century, Poland began to develop salt cave spa resorts. In the 1800s, Eastern European miners noticed that they had fewer respiratory issues and appeared younger than other miners. This was likely due to the salt particles they breathed in.

Salt therapy can effectively manage your symptoms from respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, COPD, smoker's cough/ emphysema, allergies, sinusitis, and upper respiratory infections.

In the late 1700's, England had a lot of illnesses and not a lot of cures. British physicians, searching for solutions, began to tout the healing benefits of bathing in cold sea water and breathing in the breathing sea air. Ocean water was believed to shrink tumors, relieve melancholy, cure tuberculosis, and heal various lung diseases. But don't wait until summer—physicians claimed winter was the best time for an ocean bath, and the colder the water, the greater the benefits.

Infact, back in the late 1800's to early 1900's, for those suffering from respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, or allergies, Doctor's recommeded spending time by the ocean can bring noticeable relief. The moisture in the air helps reduce inflammation in the lungs, opening up airways and allowing for deeper, clearer breathing.

In the BBC TV drama Sanditon Tom Parker (a character in Jane Austen's Sanditon and was likely inspired by a real person) is Austen's biggest proponent of the “sea cure”. He's was so dedicated to the idea that he opens a resort town to bring more people to the coast. Austen writes that Parker “held it indeed as certain that no person could be really in a state of secure & permanent Health without spending at least 6 weeks by the Sea every year, ” adding that breathing sea air and bathing in the ocean can cure “every Disorder of the Stomach, the Lungs, or the Blood.”

Note: The Regency era is a period in British history that is often associated with culture, art, fashion, and architecture. It is generally considered to have lasted from 1795 to 1837.

Society women flocked to the sea for Regency-style spa treatments. One popular treatment was to dunk women, fully clothed or in something that looked like your grandma night gown flannel dress. (bikini's or swimwear were not allowed in that time period by women due to religious/social doctrine), into the ocean. This was repeated until the women were freezing and suffocating—which was also known as energized and revitalized. The women were then given dry clothes, back rubs, feet warmers, and a cup of tea. This is slightly different from today's spa treatments, which substitute pedicures for hypothermia. Men did it too, but they were usually in swim trunks.

Ocean water is good for your skin and lungs. According to a 1999 study from the University of Freiburg in Germany, sea water helps alleviate skin problems such as dermatitis and psoriasis. This is because it is rich in minerals, including magnesium, chloride, sodium, potassium, iodine, and sulfur. The sea's minerals also promote respiratory health, reducing allergies, sinus infections, and asthma symptoms. So it IS good to bathe in the sea and breathe in that ocean air!

Modern day use of saltwater, Hypertonic saline is a sterile saline solution of different concentrations, 3%, 3.5%, and 7% sold for nebulizer machines. It works by increasing the amount of sodium (salt) in the airways.

Salt is antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial – meaning it destroys or inhibits the growth of toxins and pathogens in your lungs. As it enters your respiratory system, it absorbs toxic moisture, cleanses, and clears away excess mucus, and gets rid of harmful bacteria.

Salt is widely known for its antibacterial benefits – that's why it's been used as a preservative. How does it work? Salt kills bacteria by effectively draining the water out of them. Without water, bacteria cannot function properly, ultimately, destroying it.

Inflammation occurs when your body's white blood cells are protecting you from bacteria, infections, and foreign organisms. Salt can be used to alleviate this inflammation, as it clears toxins and other viral causing agents from your nasal cavities and airways. The salt naturally attacks the problem in your lungs and nasal cavities by reducing all bronchial swelling.

Inhaling fine salt particles can thin mucus in the airways, making it easier to raise. This can help people with breathing issues, and is especially helpful for people with cystic fibrosis. Salt can help thin mucus in the lungs by attracting water into the airways, making it easier to cough out.

Salt attracts water into the airways, which thins the mucus, making it easier to cough out. Research has shown that inhaling hypertonic saline twice a day helps people with cystic fibrosis experience fewer lung infections.

Hypertonic saline can be given for cough, you will most often inhale hypertonic saline as a mist twice a day through a nebulizer.

AnchorHomemade Saline Solution Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup (8oz) water (distilled)
¼ to ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Make the saline solution: There's more to making saline that just mixing salt and water. For the salt to effectively dissolve into the water, you must raise the water temperature. Boiling the water will also kill off any potentially dangerous microbes living in the tap water (I use distilled). Boil 8 oz. of water, then allow it to cool until just "very warm." Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and mix well until the salt dissolves. The ¼ teaspoon of salt will make a saline solution that matches the amount of salt in your body (isotonic). https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Saline-Nasal-Spray

Anchor – You may want to try a salt spray that has a greater concentration of salt than your body (hypertonic). – This is useful for significant congestion with a lot of discharge. If you're having trouble breathing or clearing your nose, consider a hypertonic solution.[2]

– To do this, simply add 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of 1/4 teaspoon.

– It is not recommended use a hypertonic solution for infants or small children younger than five years old. However, I know parents that do with a much more diluted solution.

Consider adding baking soda (optional). A half teaspoon of baking soda will adjust the pH of the solution. This makes it less likely to sting a sore nose, especially with hypertonic solutions with a higher salt content. Add it while the water is still warm, and mix well to dissolve the baking soda.

You can add the salt and the baking soda all at once, but adding the salt first usually results in easier mixing.