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02/05/2008: "Salt Inhalation Therapy"

I am finally starting to feel stronger. This is the first week in some time where I feel like my health is improving instead of slipping. I am still a little shaky and staying on my oxygen 24-7, but feel I don’t need as much volume as earlier. I still battle a cough and am on my 4th round of antibiotics to try and clear up this repertory problem that, combined with my lung tumors, is my biggest problem.

Last week they drew blood directly from my artery to measure the oxygen content. I am used to my vein being tapped but an artery is different. This is the blood coming directly from the heart. So they have to go in with a needle to the areas where they can feel a pulse. This is deeper into the arm or wrist and they work blind. It’s more painful than usual and comes out a deep purple in color.

So I am now searching for natural or alternative ways to improve my lungs. I have been prescribed an asthma inhaler to use twice a day but I am not sure of its effectiveness and would like to move off the drugs. So after a little research, I began reading more and more about the benefits of salt.

Dating back to Hippocrates, salt inhalation has been recommended as a therapy for people suffering from lung ailments. Apparently it was noticed that those who worked in the salt mines had far less respiratory troubles that the rest of the population. Now, hundreds of thousands of people suffering from allergies, asthma, and other breathing disorders, have found that prolonged visits to the European salt mines of Wieliczka in Poland, Hallein in Austria, or Praid in Romania, even to the shore of the Dead Sea, have provided breathing relief to those dealing with asthma, nasal congestion, breathlessness, bronchitis, tonsillitis, night coughing, irritation caused by pollution and smoking, hay fever and other allergies.

Refered to as Halotherapy (Halo = Salt) or Speleotherapy (Speleo = Cave), the salt dust gets into the various parts of the lungs and clears the airway passages in the upper and lower respiratory tract. Due to the fact that the inhaled saline has muco-kinetic, bactericidal, hydrophilic and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to reduce inflammation, causing a widening of the airway passages, kills bacteria and restores the normal transport of mucus, as well as unclogs blockages.

So I have just bought a salt pipe or salt inhaler. This is a simple device that you breath through about 20 minutes a day to simulate visits to the salt mines. It is filled with sea salt and allows your lungs to be exposed to the salt dust. Clinical trials involving the inhaler have shown that it can cause an improvement in 85% of cases of mild to moderate asthma, 75% of cases of severe asthma and 97% of cases of chronic bronchitis. Like all of these natural therapies, results are not immediate. But if I can be consistent with the use of the pipe over time, it will hopefully help me breath easier.

Replies: 6 Comments

on Friday, February 8th, Susan said

o my o my
easton got accepted to Texas A&M

he's super excited

<3 susan

on Wednesday, February 6th, Cindy said

Just reading your first sentence brought a smile to my face. So glad to hear you're feeling better. If Spring would get here, I'm sure the blue skies and sunshine would work wonders for you to.

on Wednesday, February 6th, Colleen said

Whew (big exhale) sooooo glad your feeling a little better. It realy hurt to watch you having
trouble breathing.

I Love ya!

on Wednesday, February 6th, Big Brother said

Hey bro, I think I speak for all of us when I say
"you're not the only one breathing a little easier"

on Tuesday, February 5th, Christina Sweet said

Rock in the winter I use beclomrthasone dipopionate HFA, otherwise known as QVAR, inhaler twice a day. I use it with a spacer mine is called Aero Chamber it helps with the delivery. I also have an Albuterol inhaler that I carry with me all the time. I recently had a bad case of bronchitis and the doctor told me to get more of the Qvar lower into my lungs I should use both. I should 1st use the Albuterol wait two minutes and then use the Qvar wait two minutes and use the Albuterol wait another two minutes and take the 2nd and in my case the last dose of Qvar.

When you first start using an inhaler most people don’t spray properly and get the Qvar or whatever all or their month and teeth that is why I have the Aero Chamber. I found the hardest part using Albuterol was calming down enough to take the 1st deep breath to get the lungs ready before using the inhaler. I have to carry the Albuterol because I never know when my gag reflect will kick in causing a serve coughing fit. For me something as simple as heat from soup or coffee can trigger a fit. I too have been concerned about not getting enough air, when I have an uncontrollable cough I feel I am only expelling air.

I hope the over the counter inhaler helps you, most daily use inhalers take about two weeks to kick in so don’t give up on it. Be sure you use the inhalers as directed by your doctor because over use or misuse such as more sprays or large dose can lead to problems with heart rhythm or even heart attack.

Really, really glad you are feeling better and stronger.

Tell Jeanette I have her glass cooking dish and I’ll trade it for my music box.

on Tuesday, February 5th, Linda said

After what happened to my mom on one of those inhalers I second your choice not to use it!!! Go for the salt - lots of cultures use it still, so I think they are on the right track - stay on it with them!