Steam Therapy & the Respiratory System

Today, there is a growing number of problems with the respiratory system due to a wide variety of modern forms of air pollution. Some of these toxic forms of air pollution enter blood stream through the lungs and harm cells of the body and some forms of air pollution damage the cells of that form the lining of respiratory system. When we look more closely at the amazing natural design of the respiratory system, it is easy to see why air pollution can be so harmful to health & wellness. Also, it provides insight into the value of steam therapy as a treatment modality to help balance the effects of air pollution that everyone is exposed to.

To better understand the respiratory system, we will compare the lungs and the skin. The skin is a barrier to the outside world that protects the internal cellular environment from exposure to the outside environment. The surface of area of the skin in approximately 22 square feet. The surface area of the lungs also acts a barrier between the outside air and the blood stream. The surface area of the lungs is 750 square feet ( 30 greater surface area than the skin). The thinnest layer of the epidermis of the skin (outer layer) is 50 micrometers wide and the barrier of the membrane of the lungs from the blood stream is only 1/2 a micrometer thick (wide). The outermost layer of the skin at its thinnest width is more than 100 times wider than the barrier between the alveoli of the lungs and the blood stream. There is a continual exposure of the blood steam to the air and everything in the air on a surface area of 750 square feet of lungs with a barrier of only 1/2 micrometer. And each day, the heart will pump more than 1,800 gallons of blood through the lungs to absorb oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. See Skin Illustration Illustration 

As air pollution increases, so does the exposure of the surface area of the lungs increase to these pollutants. There are more than 300 million alveoli in the lungs, which are the delicate membranes where the exchange takes place between the air and the blood stream. The barrier between the lungs and blood stream is only 1/16 the diameter of a red blood cell ( 8 micrometers) that is passing by on the other side the membrane barrier. It easy to understand that as toxic air pollution increases, there is an increase in health & wellness related issues. There is an increase in major medical conditions related to air pollution, such as lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and allergies. Increased air pollution effects on the lungs and blood, even if it doesn't produce major medical problems, is going to decrease the overall health & wellness of the human body. This creates a major obstacle to normal levels and optimal levels of health & wellness, which is a natural goal of everyone. Through various approaches, we can decrease our exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution, but it is not possible to eliminate it, we can only decrease it. See Lung Illustration Illustration

Steam therapy is one of the oldest holistic health & wellness approaches in maintaining a healthy respiratory system. Steam therapy is used as regular programs to maintain a healthy respiratory system, to prevent health problems in the future and in the treatment of various respiratory health problems. In Ayurveda, which has been used for thousands of years and continues today, there are several approaches using steam and other water therapies. Naysa is program that includes the use of steam, herbs and massage. Neti is an approach that uses water for nasal irrigation. It is interesting that Dr. Merret Oz, on the Oprah Show, recommended Neti as a treatment for nasal allegories and general health of the sinus cavities.

Inhalation steam therapy, done on a regular basis, can have significant short-term and long-term benefits:

• By elevating the temperature of the cells inside the lungs, the cells that make up the immune system are stimulated, as well as a general immune response.
• The elevated temperature and moisture make it easier for lining of the respiratory system to remove nano particles, dust and allergens from the lining of the lungs.
• During dry and cold weather, when moisture in the air is significantly less, the lungs become dryer and irritated. Inhalation therapy can increase normal levels of water moisture in the lungs.
• Inhalation therapy can be combined with aromatherapy. The benefits of aromatherapy can be combined with inhalation therapy to enhance the benefits of the treatment.
• Inhalation therapy, when done properly, can be deeply relaxing. This is especially true of full-body steam treatment, including inhalation therapy, done when a client is lying down on a massage table. For many clients, this is their favorite hydrotherapy treatment. And when this is done using aromatherapy, the effects are greatly enhance.
• Steam inhalation therapy should not be used to treatment major medical conditions associated with the respiratory system. Steam therapy has been used historically to treat some major medical conditions, but this require special training and can only be done under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.
• Warning: do not use open pans that contain boiling with the client inhaling steam from the pan. This is dangerous as there is always some risk that the boiling water could accidentally come into contact with the client. Some hydrotherapy books recommend placing a sheet over a client and a pan of boiling water on the floor for inhalation therapy. This is a risky procedure and is not necessary with the availability of inexpensive steam inhalation equipment, so which can be purchased at a local drugstore.

Inhalation therapy treatments can be very easy and enjoyable to provide to your clients. The following are some suggestions for doing steam inhalation treatments:

• My favorite piece of equipment for inhalation therapy with the client sitting is the steam inhaler by Mabis Healthcare Model  40-741-000. It has a great design, especially for the addition of natural products to the water generating the steam. It costs about $50.00 and you can search for it on the internet. Key words: Mabis Inhalation 
• For full-body steam therapy, including inhalation therapy, I use the Steamy Wonder Steam Canopy system. Of course I was one of the inventors of the system, but after seeing it being used for more than 10 years, I see that it has been successfully used because of the these key features:
  Comfort: With this system, you bring stream therapy to a client that is comfortable on the massage table. The client is able to completely relax during the treatment, knowing that it is being supervised by a trained therapist. Also, steam therapy produces dramatic changes in the behavior of the physiology of the human body, and it much easier to feel comfortable when the client is lying down during the treatment.
  Temperature Control: It is possible to control the temperature to keep it in a normal, high or cooler level. This is valuable because some clients need the temperature to be cooler than normal to feel comfortable and some need it warmer. Also, for some treatments, it is necessary to make it hotter more quickly and sometimes it is necessary to make it cooler over a longer period of time.
  Massage: During steam treatments using the Steamy Wonder, it is possible to massage the clients face, neck & shoulders, and even down to their lower back. This can be of value for massage therapists and estheticians, as well as the fact that clients like being touched during a steam treatment.
  Natural Products & Aromatherapy: Essential oils, herbs and mineral salts can be added directly to the water generating the steam allowing these products to enter the steam and come into contact with the client's body. This also allows the use of aromatherapy during the treatment for various benefits, especially enhancing the deep relaxation response produced by the treatment. For information on our website for the Steamy Wonder Steam System Steamy Wonder

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