01The basics
What is salt therapy, and what is it offered for?
You sit or lie in a room with salt in it and breathe normally. There are two kinds of salt room. In one, a machine grinds salt and blows the fine particles into the air. In the other, the room is filled with salt and nothing is blown about. The Cleveland Clinic says the first would be a true halotherapy experience, and the second is typically a more meditative setting. Before you book, ask us which kind ours is. The cautions below apply to both: the asthma charities do not separate them.
- For asthma
- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says it is best for people with asthma to avoid a salt room. Asthma + Lung UK lists salt therapy among therapies that could be harmful: inhaling salt can irritate the airways and trigger an attack.
- For other lung conditions
- Asthma + Lung UK says it has helped some people clear mucus more easily. Results differ from person to person, so speak to your own doctor or nurse first.
- For sinus trouble
- For mild sinusitis the NHS suggests cleaning your nose with a salt water solution, and seeing a doctor if you are no better after three weeks.
- For eczema
- The main eczema treatments the NHS lists are moisturisers and steroid creams. A salt room does not replace them.
The short version
A calm room to rest in.
A salt room does not replace treatment for anything: keep taking your medicines.
A salt room offers somewhere quiet to rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
02Your check
Who checks that a salt room is sensible for you?
You see Dr. Charles Rockhead first, in person, at 9 Devon Road in Kingston. He goes through your medical history, your breathing and your medicines, examines you if that is needed, and may advise you not to use the room. He is a gynaecologist, not a lung specialist, so if you have asthma or another lung condition, speak first to the doctor or nurse who looks after it. Message us for what that first visit costs, and whether you can have a session the same day.
Dr. Charles Rockhead, Medical Director — Oshun Cosmetic Services, Kingston.
Dr. Charles Rockhead
Medical Director · Board-Certified OB/GYN · 30+ years of practice
Dr. Charles Rockhead is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with more than thirty years of practice in Kingston. He is the Medical Director of Oshun Cosmetic Services and the founding physician of Amadeo Medical Group, the parent clinical practice.
Read the clinic story · View Dr. Rockhead's LinkedIn
03A session
A session, step by step.
The time in the room is 30 to 45 minutes.
i.
Before you come
Wear comfortable clothes. We ask you to leave jewellery and electronics outside, and to skip lotion on bare skin. If you have a reliever inhaler, bring it.
ii.
In the room
You sit or lie back and breathe normally. You may cough more than usual. If your chest feels tight or the cough will not settle, leave the room and tell us.
iii.
Afterwards
Drink some water. If you have a lung condition, more mucus can make symptoms worse for a short time. Tell your own doctor if it does.
iv.
Your medicines
Keep taking every prescribed medicine exactly as before. Asthma + Lung UK warns that replacing your usual treatment could put you at risk of a life-threatening attack, and says not to accept treatment from anyone who says you will be able to stop your usual medicines.
- Does it hurt?
- No. Some people cough, and some find a closed room uncomfortable.
- How many sessions
- There is no set number. One session will tell you whether you like it.
04Is it for you
Who should ask a doctor first, and who should stay out.
- Children
- For a child, ask the child's own doctor first. A child with asthma comes under the asthma advice below. Message us before you bring a child, and we will tell you whether we can see them.
- Asthma
- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says it is best to avoid salt rooms. Asthma + Lung UK says to speak to your doctor or nurse first. If you still want to try one, do that, keep taking the preventer inhaler you use every day, and bring the reliever you use when symptoms start.
- Another lung condition
- With COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or any other lung condition, speak to your own doctor or nurse first.
- Do not use the salt room
- With asthma or COPD that is severe or not under control, with a cold, the flu, a chest infection or a fever, with active tuberculosis, or with severe high blood pressure.
- Pregnancy
- If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor first.
- The risks
- A cough, irritated airways and, in some people, a narrowing of the airways. With a lung condition, symptoms that are worse for a short time. Warm rooms could also be ideal for bacteria to grow, the American Lung Association says, so it is fair to ask how a salt room is cleaned.
05Warning signs
If your breathing gets worse.
- When to get help
- Call an ambulance, or have someone take you to a hospital at once, if you feel worse at any time, or in an asthma attack if you do not feel better after the full dose of your reliever or have no inhaler with you. Do not drive yourself. Do not wait for us: we close at night and from Friday to Sunday. Afterwards, see your own doctor within two days.
- What to do in an asthma attack
- Sit up straight and use your reliever inhaler. For a blue reliever the NHS says one puff every 30 to 60 seconds, up to 10 puffs, unless your asthma plan says otherwise.
- Signs of an asthma attack
- Asthma + Lung UK's signs: your symptoms are quickly getting worse; your reliever is not helping as much as usual, or you need it more often; you are finding it difficult to walk or talk; or your peak flow score is much lower than usual. That list is for adults. For a child, ask the child's doctor what to watch for.
- Leave the room
- If you start to cough hard, wheeze, or feel your chest tighten, leave the room and tell us.
- Skin
- Eczema that is blistered, crusty, leaking fluid or has spots filled with pus needs a doctor urgently, not a salt room.
06Cost & booking
How much does salt therapy cost in Kingston?
- What it costs
- We estimate US$40 to US$80 a session. You get your exact price in writing before you book.
- When and where
- At Oshun, 9 Devon Road, Kingston. Monday and Wednesday, 10 AM to 6 PM. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Closed Friday to Sunday.
- Paying
- Cash, debit card, credit card or approved financing. Health insurance generally does not cover it.
If this sounds right
The next step is a conversation, not a commitment.
Start with a consultation. Dr. Rockhead checks whether a salt room is right for you before any session is booked.
No obligation · Every consultation is in-person with Dr. Rockhead.
