Forced Indoor Air Ionization
Forced Indoor Air Ionization by Salt Sublimation May Improve Respiratory Symptoms in Cystic Fibrosis
VIENNA, AUSTRIA — June 8, 2001 — Forced ionization of indoor air by salt sublimation may improve respiratory symptoms in cystic fibrosis (CF), said a researcher in a presentation at the 24th European Cystic Fibrosis conference in Vienna, Austria.
The use of speleotherapy in many Central and Eastern European countries is widespread and recommended by doctors to their patients. The term speleotherapy comes from the Greek ‘speleo’ meaning ‘cave’ and therapy, hence, cave therapy. For over 150 years, many people with all kinds of respiratory diseases use this therapy as a complementary or alternative therapy to the classical pharmacological therapies and achieve great results. However, it can be costly because the treatment is fixed to a location and requires multiple sessions to see results.
In efforts to find a way to use this therapy at home, a Romanian chemist and engineer started his research. Hence, he developed a device able to simulate the salt mine micro-environment in the comfort of one’s home. By analyzing the air composition in a salt mine, he found a way to reproduce the salt micro particles! This was all done using natural mineral halite salt crystals formed in the Middle Miocene Era from a salt mine. Following this, researchers performed multiple clinical studies at different clinics in Romania. Today, the device uses forced indoor air ionization by salt sublimation to provide relief in many respiratory conditions.
Clinical studies
It was crucial to test the device on cystic fibrosis patients as it’s a common and difficult disease to teat. Therefore, Doctor Ioan Popa and his colleagues from a pediatric clinic in Buzau, Romania, investigated 18 patients between 3 and 17 years old, with mild to severe cystic fibrosis. The study used two groups over six months: a placebo and experimental group. The subjects consisted of: seventy percent mild cystic fibrosis patients and thirty percent severe cystic fibrosis patients. Then, two lots were created based on the stage of the disease, their FEV1, colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and/or Staphylococcus aureus and other respiratory conditions.
The first group used the Salin device approximately 8-10 hours/day. The placebo lot used the Salin for the same time period but with the salt plates removed. The first lot noted significant improvements in clinical state and a subjective estimation of “better” have been seen by patients. Furthermore, this was especially the case with those that were more seriously affected by the illness. Objective symptoms of the disease, like sputum analysis, respiratory function, crackles at auscultation and FEV1, showed improvements from before treatment. On the other hand, the placebo lot experienced no changes comparable to those from lot I.
On clinical examination, the patients receiving the active treatment noted an increase in sputum elimination in the first stage. Significant reductions of sputum quantity, improvement of the respiratory functional syndrome, less crackles at auscultation and an improvement of FEV1 all followed. Furthermore, no patients receiving the treatment experienced acute episodes that should require another hospitalization for the duration of the treatment.
The authors concluded that forced ionization of the indoor air represents a natural and efficient treatment for respiratory diseases in patients with cystic fibrosis. This treatment could be used alongside with the classical therapy, doesn’t have any side effects and has a quite modest cost.
For more information, clinical studies and testimonials please click on salt therapy.
Livia Tiba
Web Site: salinetherapy.com
Phone: +1 / 519-641-SALT (7258)