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Speleotherapy and asthma, allergy and other
respiratory diseases
Livia Tiba
Copyright 2005 Livia Tiba
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. “Alternative” should imply “instead of” western
medical procedures, conventional treatments and “complementary” should be “in
addition to”, in both cases, with very good results leading to a reduction of
antibiotics and corticoids intake and decreasing the rate of annual
hospitalization and asthma attacks.
Educated and motivated person, having a multicultural background with extensive
knowledge about European health products and practices.
LTiba
www.salinetherapy.com
+1 / 519.641.SALT
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