November 15, 2005
THESE young children are breathing easy in this salt mine, 300m
underground.
But that was not the case when they were up above.
They are all asthma sufferers.
Spending time in these halls carved out of salt is part of a unique
treatment offered by a hospital in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian Allergological Hospital, which runs this
underground clinic, the treatment has had tremendous success in
treating asthma and other respiratory diseases, especially in
children.
Curing asthma involves spending two to three hours a day in the
salt mines over a two to three month period, reported the Ukraine
Observer.
This method of treating asthma is called speleotherapy. It has been
practised in Eastern Europe for many years and is considered an
alternative form of treatment.
It is believed that micro salt particles inhaled by the patients
help to clear the air passages in the upper and lower respiratory
tract.
The inhaled saline is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and
will help to kill bacteria and unclog blockages.
The clinic has been treating patients for the past 30 years and it
claims that about 60,000 have been cured.