Myth: Salt Walls Provide Benefits

FACT: Salt walls and salt bricks or blocks do not generate dry salt aerosol.

A number of salt rooms have been built in recent years, constructed of natural salt blocks, yet with no means to produce aerosol.

• Studies show that without a halogenerator producing dry salt aerosol, it is impossible to recreate natural salt mine benefits even with large masses of salt applied to salt room walls.
• Salt walls are pleasing to look at, and insulate rooms, reduce noise and reduce humidity and temperature fluctuations, but they offer no benefits in supporting breathing or skin health.
• Only a special device can create salt aerosol – a halogenerator.

Myth: Himalayan & Dead Sea Salts Have Beneficial Minerals

FACT: There are no scientific studies to support this statement.

Some businesses insist that the Himalayan or Dead Sea salts they use in halotherapy provide superior benefits over plain, pharmaceutical grade salt, but there is no science to support the claim.

• Minerals in unstandardized salt crystals vary widely. It is impossible to predict the amount of inhaled minerals in these salts, which also may also contain impurities, such as clay, mud, soil, or even radioactive potassium.
• Use of anything other than pharmaceutical-grade sodium chloride is considered experimental, possibly unsafe, and can cause allergic and other unpredictable reactions. The great body of halotherapy research was conducted using pharmaceutical-grade or pure rock salt.

Myth: It is Not Necessary to Control Aerosol Concentration

FACT: Only halogenerators controlling the aerosol concentration provide effective and safe salt room sessions.

Many aerosol generators cannot control aerosol concentration.

• Aerosol is finicky, and can be affected by many factors, from the size and moisture in the salt granules used, air-pipe conditions, temperature and humidity and air circulation.
• Inhaling too much salt aerosol can cause bronchospasms and other side effects.
• Halogenerators must control aerosol concentration to keep the salt room environment safe and beneficial.
• Controlling the concentration of salt aerosol requires a halogenerator with a sensoring system that constantly monitors the aerosol level, signaling the halogenerator to adjust and self-correct its output.

Myth: Wet & Dry Salt Therapy Are the Same

FACT: Dry salt aerosol is the main acting factor in halotherapy.

Some businesses claim to provide halotherapy using devices that produce aerosol from a water-based saline solution. However, research has shown:

• Wet aerosol mainly settles in the upper respiratory tract and the central trachea and bronchi, due to the hygroscopic characteristics of moist particles.
• This can cause airway swelling and bronchospasm
• And can provoke a hyper-reactive response in people with asthma and COPD.
• Also, moist air can increase the risk of microbial contamination

Research shows that moist saline aerosol is significantly less effective than dry salt aerosol and can cause adverse effects.
 

Misunderstood: The Importance of Ventilation During Sessions

FACT: Inadequate ventilation adversely affects the efficiency of salt room sessions

Some salt room operators do not provide fresh air during sessions.
However,

• People can become uncomfortable without fresh air circulating through the room during sessions.
• Localities generally require fresh air circulation.
• Air flow, or ventilation, contributes to optimal aerosol distribution in salt rooms

Salt rooms require properly designed ventilation systems, a critical matter in supporting client comfort and wellness. A well-designed halogenerator works in harmony with ventilation systems.