Episode Transcript
[00:00:08] Speaker A: This week I am chatting all about salt therapy. Even though I'm a community pharmacist, I like a natural and noninvasive method of treatment as much as the next person. Salt therapy is used to treat a wide variety of respiratory conditions, basically any condition which causes mucus or inflammation of the respiratory system. So this can include asthma, bronchitis, nasal infections, allergies, sinusitis, coughs, all that kind of thing. This is a natural remedy that has been used for years and years in eastern Europe and Russia, particularly because that's where salt caverns, naturally occurring, are abundant. So people go into these salt caves and they use them to treat and prevent respiratory conditions. But before I talk about ways to enjoy salt therapy and ways to benefit from salt therapy at home, I want to talk to you a little bit about the evidence and science. There is significant evidence that supports the use of hypertonic saline nasal sprays and just regular saline nasal sprays to help with congestion and mucus in the sinuses and nasal passageways. So when you're talking about products, you're talking about steremire nasal sprays, and they do a great range. There's also the Neil med saline rinse, and that's actually a bottle that you squeeze a solution of salt and water up one nostril and it will clear your sinuses and come out on the other side. It can feel very, very weird, but also very, very refreshing. When using a Neil med sinus rinse, it is important that you use boiled and cooled water, and that is to make sure that you are not squishing any bad bacteria up into your sinuses when you're doing your nasal rinse. So please do bear that in mind and have a jug of boiled, cooled water. And you can use that a couple of times during the day. It feels really weird to start with, but it is amazing and also in their range. They do isotonic salines and hypertonic salines. Hypertonic saline just basically means that it's got a higher concentration of salt within the solution that you're using. There is evidence that these hypertonic salt solutions provide significantly better improvement in nasal symptoms and a reduction of antihistamine use than the isotonic ones. Really, there isn't much difference in terms of side effects. Both of them are really mild and really gentle, and they're quite a cost effective solution. And these can be used to add on to treatments or to use instead of things like potentially steroid nasal sprays, et cetera, depending on how well you respond. If you are prescribed medication, never stop it without talking to your GP first. And that goes for any complementary therapy. I just want to explain how hypertonic saline solutions work, because that will lead me on to how the salon plus salt therapy device works. So understanding osmosis is important. So when you inhale a hypertonic saline solution, it reaches the cells, the mucosal cells, in your airways, and the salt levels are then higher outside of the mucosal cells than they are in the cell. So the inevitable happens and osmosis sets in. And this is where water from the inside of the cells try to automatically flow through the cell membrane to address and dilute that imbalance. So they try to dilute the high levels of salt that they're feeling. I am now talking about cells having feelings. Anyway, the long and short of it is water is drawn out of the mucosal membrane cells and into the mucus on its surface. So what this does is it actually dilutes the mucus, so it's thinning it out. And this is a really amazing way to unclog stubborn mucus that's stuck in the airways. So using saline nasal sprays and rinses and all of that is very, very useful and very helpful. But is there an easier way to benefit from salt therapy? Well, yes, there is, and that's why I want to talk to you about the salon plus air purifier today. This is a solution that I came across about seven years ago, I think, when a consultant actually recommended it for one of my COPD patients in the pharmacy who had awful problems with emphysema and basically mucus on the lungs. So the salon plus device is something that is, instead of attending a traditional salt room, and it's something that you can have on in your bedroom all night, every night. And I would definitely recommend its regular use. What happens is you plug in the device, the air is sucked through the fan in the back of it, and it's pushed through a filter which removes all of the pollen and dust particles and all of that. Then you've got this really clean air to which microcrystalline salt particles are added as it's pushed through the filter. So the air that's going in at the back of your device is potentially dusty. It has pollen, other allergens, it could be mole spores, it could be pet dander, anything. So all of that air is going in and what's coming out is a clean air supply, which is carrying these tiny, tiny, tiny little pieces of salt, which are so light and so small that they can travel in the air. And as you breathe in while you sleep, these tiny microcrystalline salt particles travel and land all the way over your respiratory tract, right down into the bronchial surfaces in your lungs. So they then have that osmosis action. So all of the respiratory mucosal cells respond by sending water into the mucosal surface. And so it automatically starts to dilute any mucus that's sitting on the chest. It also works because they are negatively charged ions. So these negatively charged ions are in the respiratory airways, and they actually stimulate ciliary mobility and the ability for mucus to flow through the membranes. So they're not just working by osmosis. They're also agitating the little cilia on the lung surfaces, which helps to promote the movement of mucus, which can then be cleared from your airways. These two mucolytic actions, in addition to the antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties of salt particles, are just so effective at soothing a multitude of respiratory conditions. When you're looking at lung health, you have to consider the whole respiratory system. So when we breathe in, we're breathing in through our nose or through our mouth. We know that when we get a cold or a flu or a sinus issue, we can end up with what's known as a postnasal drip, where you have excess mucus dripping down the back of your throat and into your airways. This mucus can get stuck, and it can be irritating. So it can be irritating as it's making its way down the back of your throat. And that can cause you to cough, and it can also be irritating when it's stuck down in your lungs. And that's why we often end up taking mucolytic cough bottles to try and break a chesty cough. Also, in dry coughs, we know that our lung surfaces are very inflamed and irritated. And so the antiinflammatory properties of salt are effective in this context, too. People who suffer with chronic sinus issues or even short term sinus issues are susceptible to infection. So with sinusitis, you get blockages in your sinus tract. This happens because you get inflammation of the nasal membranes. These narrow membranes mean that blockages can occur. And this, of course, makes everything worse, because then you've got inflammation and blockages, which just isn't very helpful. And it's also an environment where bacteria like to grow. When you use salt therapy, both of these issues are addressed. So you get a reduction in inflammation of the actual membranes themselves, and then you get the mucolytic action of the salt through osmosis and through agitation of the cilia, which help to make the mucus easier to drain and clear. Many people will say things in the pharmacy like, I'm prone to sinus problems, or I'm prone to chesty coughs, or I'm prone to allergies and all of that. And these are the people who will probably benefit the most from natural salt therapy. In the context of hay fever or allergies, we know that it is the allergen that's causing the reaction and irritation and inflammation within the airways. So by breathing in these salt particles, you're helping to reduce inflammation and to restore basically the normal transport of mucus around the airways. This helps to reduce blockages and hopefully means that your normal mucosal activity can clear any foreign allergens that are in your airways. That's how it helps to relieve the symptoms. But remember, as the air is being passed through the machine, all of the pollen and dust particles, et cetera, are being filtered out of the air. It literally is designed to remove 98% of particles which are ten micron or greater. I've noticed a huge difference in our household with our hay fever symptoms since we started using this product. In the seven years that I have been stocking the salon plus, I've had multiple asthmatics, people with cystic fibrosis, families with a child with Dent syndrome in the house, people who suffer from hay fever. I've had all of these people come back with such positive, positive feedback and you can actually see all of that. I did an article called Wondercare Salon plus reviews, I think it is, and it's available on my website, wondercare ie. Please do remember, never stop your medication for a natural product without talking to your doctor first. If you feel that the salon plus is working really well for you, then you should notice that you're reducing the use of your blue reliever inhaler. But you should not reduce your brown or orange steroid inhaler. You should not reduce the use of your preventer inhaler without discussing it with the GP first. With natural products, it can be difficult, and especially for me as a community pharmacist, I'm always very conscious of sticking to evidencebased medicine. But there are plenty of publications, including some from the American Lung association and recent ones in the Alternative Therapeutic Health Medicines magazine from 2021, which support the use of salt therapy both through the use of hypertonic saline solutions and through inhaled salt therapy. In all cases, these are a complementary therapy to be used on top of existing medical treatments unless otherwise advised, salt therapy is safe and well tolerated. I like it a lot because it doesn't contain any drugs. It's natural, it's noninvasive. So literally it works while you sleep and it can help to reduce snoring. Just want to mention that I know I've been talking about the convenience of the salon plus as a salt therapy device. And as I mentioned earlier, that is my personal preference because I just can't find the time to visit a salt room regularly. But they are also a really good option. The sessions in assault therapy room are generally around half an hour, I think, to 45 minutes, something like that, and they will recommend treatment twice a week if you're trying to get a condition under control, or very frequently anyway. And then the soul therapy rooms will say maybe one to three times a year to maintain your results. I do believe it's kind of like visiting a spa in that they've got really comfy places to sit and relax and that definitely might be something that you would prefer. So anyway, if you think you're more interested in getting that kind of experience, just do bear the cost in mind as well. I think it usually costs around 20, maybe even 30 euro per session. So that's where I kind of was considering even not just the practical benefits of the salon plus, but also the financial. The salon plus recommended retail price is 159 95. Because they support us, we have them on offer at Wondercare, ie for 117 I think. So really and truly, that's four visits to the salt room and you're getting it every night at home without having to leave your house. So I quite like that side of it. With the salon plus there is an ongoing cost, but it's much less. So you only actually need to change the filter in the salon plus once every four to six months, and it costs just under 40 euro per filter. So we also have bundle offers which make it a bit better value. But overall the maintenance cost might be a bit cheaper than attending a salt room. But as I say, it's going to vary very much from person to person. I just wanted to explain that it is an option and I am in no way dissing salt rooms. In fact, I really like the concept of them, but for practical reasons and I suppose cost effectiveness, I would rather have the salon plus and just have it on in my bedroom every single night and have maintained better respiratory health. And also for me, it's really good that it filters the dust and pollen and animal dander out of the room. For me, that's kind of a deal breaker too. So look, you know, the options are there. Obviously you will do what suits you best. I make no secret of the fact that Salem plus are supporters of mine, but that only happened in the last year. I spent six years boring the hell out of people explaining how amazing this product was. I was so delighted to get it into stock in my pharmacy all those years ago and I've been recommending it ever since. I've spoken many times about the difference that it made in my own daughter's health while she was awaiting a ton selectomy. And we're sufferers of allergies in our house. So I've been sharing lived experience of this product for quite some time. I really only work with brands that I'm really happy to endorse because for me, being a community pharmacist and maintaining the ethics and professionalism of my job is so, so important. So I have supported salon plus for a lot longer than they have supported me. So my recommendation is genuine and is not biased by the fact that they are the supporters of this show. It's actually more the other way around. But in the interest of transparency, I just wanted to make that really clear. Now, in Ireland, we have modern salt caves and rooms basically being built in order to replicate the same impact. And while I really like the concept of a man made salt room and I can imagine feeling great after it, it's just not the most practical solution. And it feels maybe like a lot of work. And that is completely personal opinion. But I don't know, a lot of parents are busy. I'm certainly very busy. And to try and find time for a session in a salt room regularly just sounds like another stress in my life. I'll link all of the salt therapy products in a highlight on my instagram at Wondercare underscore IRL so that's all of the neomed products. And I'll tell you which ones are suitable for different conditions and different age groups. All of the stereomars. And there are some other ones that are suitable for babies. Obviously there's the steremar baby, but also some of the calpuls. There's one that's suitable from three years, and then there's one that is just regular saline, suitable for younger kids. And all of these products are just really good for cleansing and clearing out the nasal passageways. We're very good at moisturizing our faces, and we're very good at putting on lip balm. And maybe that's because we can see the condition of our skin surfaces and we can see if our child or our lips are dry and we'll treat that, but we're not very good at remembering to moisturize our nasal passageways. I know I sound bonkers, but as someone who suffers with dry eyes and dry nasal passageways, this is something that I am getting really vigilant with. I'm actually going to be trying out a product now that I found while I was researching for this episode. It is the neomed NASA mist all in one. So I knew about the NASA mist. I knew they did a hypertonic saline and an isotonic saline. So that's just regular saline and then stronger saline. I knew they did those for congestion and sinus and allergies, but I didn't realize they did an all in one which basically moisturizes your nasal passageways as well as soothing and helping to relieve those symptoms of colds and congestion. So that is definitely something that I'm going to be using over the next few weeks. So I will let you know how I get on with that.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: I really hope that you found this episode helpful.
[00:18:39] Speaker A: I'd be delighted if you could give.
[00:18:40] Speaker B: Us a little review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and feedback. Course is always welcome. In addition to any questions you may have by contacting me through Instagram and you can find me at undercare underscore IRL. Thank you so much for listening. I'll talk to you again soon.
