Studies on the efficiency of speleotherapy in Transylvanian Praid salt mine

We made our observations and we gathered dates on this study between the years 1995 – 1998, in the Hospital from Praid. Our supervision was based on daily formularies for interned patients during their 3 weeks of treatment.

Our interest points:
- dyspnea, wheezing, coughing, sputum, quantity and quality of used drugs, objective states, spirometry, pick-flow meter

Before their way home, we gave to our patients one diary of health progress.
The results of the studies:

• 77% of our patients felt better during the 4 hours of underground treatment
• 22,7% of our patients felt the same way as outside
• 0,3% of our patients felt worse than outside because of different reasons
• after one cure of 3 weeks, 13% of our patients felt better for a year, 50% for 6 months, 30% for 3 months, 4% for a month and 3% felt better only during de cure.
• after one cure, 28% renounced on drugs for a period, 53% decreased the drug consume, 14% needed the same dose as before, for a period, then they succeeded to reduce the dose and 5% needed to increase their dose of drugs
• between 2 consecutive cures in the salt-mine, the necessity of hospitalization in the territorial hospitals decreased in 73% of cases, comparing to precedent years, for 24% was the same and for 3% the hospitalization was frequent.

By comparing the results in 2/3 of the patients who had cures in other salt-mines from Romania, we observed:

• 77% of the patients felt better in Praid than in other salt-mines, 88% of them would like to repeat their cure in the salt-mine from Praid
• the result of the spirometric measurement shows an improving of 10% of the VC and FEV 1 in 1/3 of the causes, after 4 hours spent in the salt-mine and in ½ of the cases after a cure of 3 weeks.
• the PFM values shows: the decrease of daily variation and the stability of increased values until the end of cure. It is very difficult to really appreciate the efficiency of the balneoclimaterical procedures: a lot of factors have their influence on the disease. There for, the improvement of the subjective symptoms isn’t always accompanied by the objective improvement. We observed, on those who are experiencing the speleotherapy for their 4^th time, that the number and intensity of attacks decrease (nightly crises and wheezing disappear), also the dry cough, the quantity and viscosity of sputum.

The physical capacity of the organism grows, also the resistance against intercurrent infections and the bronchoobstructive syndrome can be stopped, for a longer or shorter period, totally or partially. It is well known that the patient’s life style is also contributing to the efficiency of balneoclimaterical therapy: the family or work problems have to disappear, the nutrition has to be regulate, the good night sleep has to be assured, the medical gymnastics have to be introduced and the permanent medical care has to be present. All these assure the safety of the patient.
The treatment base existing in Praid, outside the salt-mine, has a very small capacity, compared with the one with large capacity and well known from underground. The increasing number of asthmatic patients and other who need this kind of therapy impose the necessity of breathing – profile sanatorium. With financial support from external sources, our village started to build a rehabilitation centre for asthmatic patients, with a capacity of 60 beds (adults and children), that still needs support for the furniture, internal arranges and medical equipment.

Another therapeutic factor existing in Praid is the natural salted water, with low sulphate content and calcium, hyper-thermal, hyper-concentrated, which can be found in the open-air swimming-pool, or in thermal tubs inside. This therapy is meant for gynecologic, chronic urologic and rheumatic diseases, and also for some dermatitis (psoriasis). Easy to be reached, the village can be found in the neighborhood of well known SPA and other kind of resort, as Sovata, Corund, Bucin, Cheile Bicazului, Baile Tusnad, Lacu Rosu, etc. fact that makes the therapeutic trips to Praid much more pleasant.

Dr. Fazekas Emese
pneumologist

“Keep the Health SPA in your hands”

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