New Twist On Ancient Remedy May Relieve Allergy And Asthma Symptoms

Orlando Channel 6 News

“If I can’t get to a session two times a week, I  notice a  difference, and I know that I need to get to The Salt Room,”  Perkins  told me.  I visited with her after she emerged from one of those   sessions.

“When you walked in for your first session, what did you think?” I asked her.

“I thought it was really cool,” she said. “I thought I was in a  salt cave.  I touched it to see what it felt like.  And then I just  breathed in the  air when the machine started pumping (the salt) in.  It  feels good.  It  does.”

According to owner Ashley Lewless, The Salt Room is based on age-old therapies in Europe.

“It came from the European salt caves,” Lewless explained.  “They  took  people down to the salt caves for respiratory benefits. They  realized  the salt miners didn’t have the same kind of breathing  problems that the  rest of the population had.”

Now, hundreds of years later,  technology has re-created a  generator that can pulverize salt and blow  it into the air.  Perkins  told Local 6 she prefers the environment at  The Salt Room over the  hospital any day.

“I’ve been in the hospital several times for reactions to my allergy and asthma,” Perkins said.

Salt has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.  It draws  out  fluids, helping drainage from the chest and sinus areas.  This  therapy  is considered a medical practice in other countries.

“It’s covered  by medical insurance in Canada and Europe.  So, if  you have bronchitis,  your doctor will write a prescription for 10 salt  therapy sessions,”  said Lewless.

Orlando pulmonologist Dr. Daniel Layish can’t write  salt therapy  prescriptions, but he has referred at least 50 patients to  The Salt  Room.  He said a vast number of those patients have reported   improvement with allergies, sinus troubles, and more serious   afflictions.

“Especially in the cystic fibrosis patients.  They   notice they  have less infections, an easier time coughing secretions out  of their  lungs.  Some have even noticed they don’t have to use their  oxygen as  often,” said Layish.

Personal disclosure: I gave The Salt Room a try for a forty-five minute session.  I promptly fell asleep.

“I remember you in the room.  You had a nice little nap,” said Perkins with a healthy laugh.

I went for three sessions. I didn’t really notice a difference until I stopped going; then my congestion came back.

A single session costs $45.  For $90 you get unlimited sessions for a month.

The Salt Room is located in Orlando at 1804 N. Mills Avenue.For more information, visit SaltRoomOrlando.com <http://www.saltroomorlando.com/> .

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