“I have had COPD for a number of years and recently I have had to take antibiotics more and more. I have also been using a ventolin inhaler much more than I should. After my second visit it was clear that the inhaler use had been cut by about 70%. Only time will tell about the antibiotics. I was more than satisfied.”
Edward K.
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COPD - BRONCHITIS AND EMPHYSEMA
About COPD
“The Salt Cave changed my life. Before my first visit I was on lots of antibiotics and steroids, basically confined to my house, and I hated to be around people as my breathing was so noisy. However, this has now changed thanks to Salt Therapy. The Salt Cave lets me live again and manage my illness in a way that means I can enjoy life again. When I walk out of The Salt Cave I feel high on life. I call it my heaven on earth.”
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It is a major public health problem in our society, effecting 2 to 15% of the Swiss population, depending on age and sex (after the Swiss Medical Weekly 2017) .
COPD is a general term which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, both of which can cause narrowing of the airways and commonly occur together.
Key facts
- Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (the airways of the lungs).
- Emphysema is damage to the smaller airways and airsacs (alveoli) of the lungs.
- Pulmonary means ‘affecting the lungs’.
Symptoms of COPD
- A cough is usually the first symptom to develop, coming and going before gradually becoming more persistent. People often think of their cough as a ‘smokers’ cough’ in the early stages of the disease. It is when the breathlessness begins that people often become concerned.
- Breathlessness and wheeziness may occur only when you exert yourself at first, for example, when climbing stairs. These symptoms tend to become gradually worse over the years if you continue to smoke, and chest infections are more common.
Main causes
- Smoking. The primary risk factor for COPD is chronic tobacco smoking. In the United States, 80 to 90% of cases of COPD are due to smoking. Almost all life-long smokers will develop COPD, provided that smoking-related, extrapulmonary diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer) do not claim their lives first.
- Occupational exposure. Intense and prolonged exposure to workplace dust found in coal mining, gold mining and the cotton textile industry and chemicals such as cadmium, isocyanates and fumes from welding have been implicated in the development of airflow obstruction, even in non-smokers.
- Air pollution. Studies in many countries have found that people who live in large cities have a higher rate of COPD compared to people who live in rural areas.
How salt can help
- Salt is antibacterial, it kills bacteria
- It reduces inflammation of the airways
- Salt is mucolytic, which means it helps to shift retained mucus
How Salt Chamber Helvetia can help
During the Salt Therapy process the overwhelming majority of patients notice a decrease in cough frequency and intensity, and that it’s easier to cough up mucus, which becomes less sticky and changes in its nature.
COPD sufferers find that not only does Salt Therapy bring immediate relief in the shorter, but also delays the frequency of reoccurrence.
Salt Therapy is a clinically proven natural, safe and beneficial method of treatment for every age group. By visiting one of our Salt Rooms and breathing in the saline aerosol generated by our machine it can significantly help to:
- Reduce the need for inhalers, steroids and antibiotics
- Make your breathing easier after just a few sessions
- Improve lung function
- Reduce the number of hospital admissions
- Alleviate sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath
- Clear mucus and sticky phlegm from the lungs
- Increase the resistance to respiratory tract diseases
- Strengthen your immune system
- Prolong remission times
How often should you come
- Depending on age and stage of your condition, 20-30 sessions are recommended for long term results.
- The sessions should be frequent; about two or three a week is suggested.
- For irreversible conditions, two to three-month follow-up sessions are recommended to maintain the clear lungs.
In most patients, after a course of Salt Therapy, airways become normal and symptoms disappear. The treatment's efficacy is estimated at 75-98%. Most clients do 1-2 Salt Therapy courses a year. In between they might come back for some top-up sessions, if they start to feel poorly, e.g. they are coming down with a cold.
Why not contact us now to book your first introductory Salt Therapy session.
Success stories
Last winter I suffered five hospitalisations due to chest infections, the final one culminating in hospital-acquired pneumonia, for which I was on a ventilator for six days. I left the hospital after 19 days, severely weakened, with an oxygen concentrator machine. Being told by NHS respiratory nurses that “there is no cure, you should try to make the best of the time you have left” wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear whilst trying to recover. I googled “alternative therapies for COPD” and up jumped The Salt Cave. I read about it, mulled it over, spoke to friends and thought what the heck, I can’t be any worse off.
After my first session at Earlsfield I felt my breathing was a bit clearer. So I came back the next week and tried again. I’m delighted to report that since the third or fourth session I am now not using the nebuliser at all and have stopped completely taking the carbosistien tablets.
I would recommend The Salt Cave highly to other COPD sufferers. I used to cough until I vomited, trying to clear phlegm for my windpipe and lungs. Now a gentle cough without even trying brings it up. The Salt Cave will literally change your life.
I’m walking around almost normally, so if you have COPD please, please contact them and travel, no matter how far. The difference in my life is immeasurable – I cannot thank them enough. Many dark days in my life are behind me thanks to this treatment!”
Alan S.
“I suffer from COPD and get recurrent chest infections which can be very debilitating. Since regular sets of sessions (6 x every other day) each month or so I have found such infections have all but stopped and my breathing has eased. The staff at The Salt Caves are great, too!”
Anthony O.
"I suffer emphysema, and my daughter treated me to a session at The Salt Caves. I went into a room covered in salt, walls were salt, floor was salt, I sat on a deck chair, the lights were dimmed, and I chilled listening to relaxing music for an hour.It was the most relaxing hour I have ever had. Once I came out, I didnt feel much different, just relaxed, but as time went on and the days went by, I felt my breathing was a lot better.I would definetly reccomend the salt caves for anyone suffering from breathing difficulties."
Michele B.
