Have you ever had one of those random health things that pops up and has you completely confused and stressed out?
After having a systemic reaction to poison ivy about 10 years ago, I have managed to avoid that scary plant and not get a single exposure since! Until last week.
Somehow I must have let my radar down, and on Thursday felt a little itch between my toes.
I didn’t think anything of it, until later that weekend, after going swimming at in a lake, I notice my foot was a bit sore. By Monday it became so red, painful, and swollen that I could hardly walk. I called my telecom web doctor and received a Rx for prednisone to help alleviate the swelling. I am not one to jump at taking Rx medications, but there certainly is a time and place. The swelling went down, somewhat. But not entirely. And now I could see how purple my 3rd and 4th toes were. Not only purple, but I couldn’t even bend them or put any weight on my foot. I kept thinking it would start to ease up. 5 long days later and still no improvement and the excruciating pain continued.
So I finally take myself to the doctor’s office.
He tells me that the poison ivy scabbed over in such a way that infection took hold and couldn’t get out. Usually oozing and weeping from a wound is a way for infection to exit the body. He opened one of the scabs, applied neosporin, prescribed an antibiotic, and told me soak my foot in a highly concentrated salt water bath three times per day, for 30 minutes each time, over the next few days.
I feel like I should have thought of this myself, working at the Salt Cave and all: Solutions with a lower concentration of salt are attracted to those with higher concentrations of salt.
So by soaking my foot, which now has a small opening where the blister was, the infected fluids will be drawn out of my body simply because they are attracted to the super salty bath my foot is resting in. Not to mention the antibacterial properties of salt. After 2 days my foot was mostly better and now, one week later, I am once again running around with my active 2 year old!
Salt is amazing. It has so many more uses than simply flavoring our food! Salt water solutions have been used for centuries to help infections, sore throats, mouth ulcers, toothaches, and congestion.
Visit our salt apothecary in store or online for all things salty: bulk salts, body care products, salt lamps, jewelry, neti pots, and more! We also offer salt therapy in our nature inspired salt cave as well as a variety of massage therapy spa services in our healing arts rooms. Such as couples massage, therapeutic massage, hot stone massage, energy work, reflexology, and body scrubs.