With a flu wreaking having on her health, a Perch editor heads to the halotherapy clinic to see if salt can cure what ails her.
WHAT IT IS
Halotherapy, also known as dry salt therapy, is a treatment that involves breathing salty air. It can purportedly help treat respiratory conditions including asthma, bronchitis, allergies. Some people also swear it has alleviated their skin conditions, snoring, and stress.
WHERE WE TRIED IT
Halo Salt Therapy, Cornwall
WHAT IT COST
$35 for a 50-minute session
WHAT WE EXPERIENCED
Over the holidays, I fell victim to a terrible flu, one that exacerbated the dry cough I’d been fighting for the previous six weeks. I’d heard that halotherapy could help with clearing out the mucus lingering in my sinuses and lungs and decided to give it a try. I made my way to the salt room, nestled in the Cornwall Healing Arts clinic.
Terry Short, a certified halotherapist, gave me a run-through of the benefits of the treatment then walked me to the 10-foot by 20-foot treatment room. Three seniors—two women and a man—were already settled in three of the six zero-gravity chairs and cozied up under fuzzy fleece blankets. The room was dimly lit by a few Himalayan Salt lamps (believed to release stress-busting negative ions), synth-y meditative music that set the mood. Aside from two beach-inspired art pieces, the walls were bare. I walked to an available chair, crunching my way across the floor which was carpeted in 3,500 pounds of coarse salt.
Shortly after Terry closed the door behind him, I heard a small hum. It was the sound of the halogenerator, the machine that grinds salt into tiny particles and pumps it into the air of the treatment room. It’s these microscopic particles that do the magic. Once absorbed, these one- to five-micrometre particles are said to absorb allergens and toxins, break up mucus and reduces inflammation. The end result? Clear airways (not to mention clear skin).
Fifty minutes is a long time for me to sit still—especially with no access to any external stimulation like my phone or a book to read—but I was keen to see what would happen. About 10 minutes into the session, my sinuses started clearing, my breathing got easier, and my racing thoughts dissipated. By minute 30, I had found zen. That’s right about the time the woman to my right started to snore ever so gently. With 10 minutes to go ’til the end of the session, another patient joined in on the snoring. A few minutes later, the harsh reality (and light) of the outside world flooded into the room when Terry opened the door and announced the end of the session. We all filed out, content and drowsy.
Only on my drive home did I realize that I hadn’t coughed once in the previous hour, something I hadn’t experienced in the past few months. Over the following days, I noticed that my dry cough was now producing gunk. Without getting into too much detail, you should know that I kept a box of tissues close by at all times. Was this because the flu had run its course? Or was it prompted by the halotherapy? It’s difficult to say but you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be running to the salt room the next time I have a run-in with any kind of respiratory bug.
Important note: The Halo Salt Room is not recommended for people with the following conditions, among others: severe chronic respiratory failure, hypertension, tuberculosis, chronic kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism. Please talk to the halotherapist and your regular doctor before engaging in this type of treatment.
