Speleotherapy and asthma, allergy and other respiratory diseases
Speleotherapy or underground climatotherapy is an alternative or
complementary method of therapy for asthma and other respiratory
diseases that is used in Eastern and Central Europe for many,
many years.
This involve spending 2-4 hours a day underground, in salt caves
or mines for over 2-3 months period, but the results are
impressive. The salt micro particles, salt dust, reach the lung
alveoli, bronchi, bronchioles and clear all the airway passages,
in upper and lower respiratory tract. Due to the fact that the
inhaled saline has mucokinetic, bactericide, hydrophilic and
anti inflammatory properties, will help to reduce inflammation
leading to widening of the airway passages, kill bacteria and
restore the normal transport of the mucus and unclog the
blockages.
Although not known in North America, salt therapy is an old and
very popular method of therapy in the Balkans, Europe. There are
many salt sanatoriums in the heart of the salt mountain and
doctors are involved in clinical researches, in some countries
the treatment being covered by the health minister.
An old study describes a speleotherapy course which was 4 hours
a day for 6-8 weeks, with 100 COPD (Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease) and asthma patients and reported improvement
which lasted 6 months to 7 years (Skulimowski, 1965). Similar
studies are published in Pub Med (MEDLINE) from Poland, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, and Russia.
Recent clinical study at Pulmonary Clinic, Ambulatory Section,
Timisoara, Romania, on a lot of 30 patients (19 Asthma, 11
Chronic Bronchitis) revealed that use of a speleotherapy device
(also called Halotherapy device) for a time period of one year
significantly reduced the sore throat, nasal obstruction,
snoring, cough, sputum secretion, associated rhinitis, annual
hospitalization and the symptomatic medication intake. Also have
shown significant improvement of sputum elimination, olfactory
sense recovery (smell, taste), sleep at night, morning condition
and clinical state.
Another clinical study at Cystic Fibrosis Center, Timisoara,
Romania, on a lot of 18 patients with Cystic Fibrosis using the
same device showed a significant reduction of sputum secretion
and crackles at auscultation and improvement of respiratory
functional syndrome, sputum elimination and general clinical
state.
Allergic rhinopathy study, 22 patients poly-allergic with house
dust as main allergen - it shown significantly reduction of
nasal obstruction, sneezing, headache, cough and significant
improvement in quality of sleep, serous-mucus rhinorea, sputum
consistence and elimination, general clinical state.
A clinical study on a lot of 63 patients with Otitis Media in
children - ear infection - for more then one year shown
significant reduction of moderate and severe clinical symptoms,
drug intake, serous-mucus secretion after tympanotomy.
Significant improvement in easy breathing, effort capacity,
intellectual capacity, tube tympanic drainage and general
clinical state.
Speleotherapy could be an alternative method of therapy as well
as a complementary method of therapy.