A simple remedy for hypertension and pronounced edema.

Baths with table or sea salt can have a pronounced therapeutic effect in cases of edema and hypertension.

How salt baths work for edema

The causes of edema can vary: kidney, liver, heart dysfunction, lymphostasis, protein or sodium deficiency.

The key physiological mechanism of a salt bath:

• Water with a high concentration of salt (hypertonic solution) creates an osmotic gradient through the skin.
• The skin — although not perfectly permeable — allows water and ions in small volumes to pass through, especially through pores, sweat, and sebaceous glands.
• Under the influence of osmosis, fluid from the body's tissues (including edematous areas) begins to exit, striving to dilute the salt solution.
• Thus, water exits through the skin, reducing the volume of interstitial fluid — the edema subsides.

This same principle is applied in medicine, for example, in the form of hypertonic compresses for resorbing localized edema.

Why this helps with hypertension

Hypertension is not only a vascular problem but often also an issue of sodium and water retention in the body.

What happens during a salt bath:

• Excess sodium can be released from the body through the skin, if there is too much in the tissues.
• Improvement of microcirculation, relaxation of smooth muscle in blood vessels under the influence of warm water and minerals (including magnesium and calcium, if the salt is sea salt).
• This can lead to a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance, and consequently — a reduction in pressure.

Additionally, with regular salt baths:

• Kidney stimulation occurs — after the procedure, urination increases (osmotic compensation),
• Sympathetic activity decreases, especially with a bath before sleep — stress and vascular spasms weaken,
• Normalization of the Na/K balance at the level of cell membranes, which stabilizes blood pressure.

Important conditions

For the bath to truly work as a therapeutic agent, it is important to:

1. Water temperature — no higher than 37–38 °C, to avoid additional strain on the heart.
2. Amount of salt — at least 500 g for a full bath (better 1–1.5 kg for a pronounced osmotic effect).
3. Duration — 15–20 minutes.
4. Hydration after the bath — warm water or herbal decoction to compensate for fluid loss.
5. Course — 2–3 times a week for 2–3 weeks.

Limitations

• In cases of decompensated heart failure — hot salt baths are contraindicated.
• People with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, severe forms of hypertension — use with caution.
• Diabetics and patients with renal failure — only with a doctor's approval.