The history of salt therapy: from salt mines to salt generators

Salt is one of humanity's most important substances. For thousands of years it was used to preserve food and as a means of payment, and wars were even fought over salt mines. The idea that salty air could also affect breathing was only observed deliberately relatively late, in the 19th century. In this article we trace how the air of salt mines turned into today's salt climate technology.

Salt in history

In ancient times salt was a strategic treasure. Some Roman soldiers were reportedly paid in salt, which according to legend is where the word "salary" comes from. Salt preserved food and was also used to clean wounds. Ancient physicians already wrote about the beneficial effects of sea air, and seaside cures remained popular for centuries.

Observations in the salt mines

The modern history of salt therapy begins in Poland. In 1843, Feliks Boczkowski, the doctor at the Wieliczka salt mine, noted that respiratory illnesses were rarer among miners than among the local population. Following his observations, a health resort was later established deep inside the mine, and it still operates today.

Similar experiences came from other countries. During the Second World War, people sheltering in a cave in Germany (Klutert) reported that those with respiratory conditions found it easier to breathe. This gave rise to speleotherapy, the use of the climate of caves and mines for health purposes, which spread across Central and Eastern Europe.

Solotvyno and the Hungarian connection

In Solotvyno (Aknaszlatina) in Transcarpathia (now Ukraine), an underground allergy treatment centre has operated in the salt mine for decades. Many Hungarian patients also went there. In 1990, a delegation from the Hungarian Ministry of Welfare studied the scientific work being done there. However, the distance and complicated journey meant that only a few people could do a regular course of treatment.

The arrival of climate rooms

In the 1980s, devices began to be developed in the Soviet Union that recreated the microclimate of salt mines artificially, above ground. This is halotherapy: in an enclosed room, a device disperses finely ground, dry salt into the air. From there it was only a short step to making a salt climate available anywhere, even in a city clinic or at home.

The story of AREC

In 1992, AREC (Asthma Rehabilitation Centre) was the first in Hungary to introduce climate rooms based on salt climate technology. We have been continuously developing our devices ever since, and today we offer both business (institutional) salt generators and family salt generators for home use. We also welcome guests in our climate room in Hajdúszoboszló, many of them families with small children.

Where does science stand today?

Salt therapy has a long history of experience, but modern scientific research is only at the beginning. Most studies so far have been small, and according to review studies, effectiveness has not yet been clearly proven. That is why we communicate responsibly: we recommend a salt climate as a pleasant, complementary option that supports wellbeing and does not replace medical treatment. Read more: What is salt therapy?

This article is for general information only and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. AREC salt generators are not medical devices.