Salt pipe

[Chrissysophie]

Hi guys, I have bronchiectasis and a nutritionist has recommended to use a salt pipe. Any advice on this if anyone knows about it?

[Swizzy]

They are fun but no substitute for nebulising saline.

[Jk1957 in reply to Swizzy]

Agree totally with Swizzy . Inhaled nebusol only way . I’m doing it for years

Walking by the sea helps if you are near one

[Mellywelly]

Hi chook, don't know much about it myself but have been researching it. I know this is the best place for you to get answers though 😉

[Manuker]

By a nutritionist? If the purpose is to thin the mucus, the advice should more appropriately be coming from a physiotherapist or a respiratory nurse. They will teach you how and when to use any devices that they recommend. Maybe it's worthwhile to find out from the nutritionist what purpose the salt pipe is for.

[Danielmystar]

I was told Salt pipe and salt room so way was of my sisters it done nothing for us but everyone is differant

[Homely2]

I have asthma and run a mile from ideas that might provoke my Asthma.

[Ergendl]

I find a salt pipe and a salt lamp very useful for limiting infection when I have a cold or am trying to stop a cold from developing. The salt lamp also looks great. I have mild COPD with asthma.

I would never have recommended a salt pipe as a dietitian. Did the nutritionist suggest it through personal experience?

[Izb1]

I tried one years ago, along with a salt lamp and can't say it did anything for me x

[peege]

Do you have excess mucus with your bronchiectasis? If so I can understand why the nutritionist might have thought it useful for you - especially if, like me you don't have a supportive gp practice for essential advice. Personally I'd not try it in case it triggered my asthma although in Europe its quite common to use salt caves & spas.

There are less invasive methods of getting rid of mucus like The Huffing Technique, Acapella, Aerobika, the first can be found on youtube the second two can be supplied by NHS or purchased (if I needed one I'd buy one as I'd wait a year of Sundays to get anything from my practice). A mucolytic like Carbocysteine or N-Acetyl Cysteine can help as can drinking plenty of fluids - many members take a mucolytic.

If your mucus is excessive you need to ask your respiratory medic for advice & getting a respiratory physiotherapist to learn techniques on getting rid of it, essential. Whatever lung disease we have we absolutely don't need mucus hanging around in lungs making the perfect warm wet environment for bugs to multiply causing infections.

If you already know all this please ignore my waffling on 🙃

[knitter]

I bought a salt pipe ages ago , no improvement sadly .