The hi-tech and therapeutic ‘cave’ is the first in Ireland to offer ‘salt therapy’ to asthma and allergy sufferers.
Almost half a million people in Ireland have asthma and the country is ranked 4th highest in the world for asthma prevalence, according to the Asthma Society of Ireland. One person dies from asthma every week in Ireland; with one in every five children suffering from the widespread respiratory condition.
Tucked away inside a busy Maynooth shopping centre, one of the retail units has been designed to recreate conditions found in a Siberian salt mine – except the unique ‘cave’ has calming music, soothing lighting and comfortable chairs!
Launched by a Hungarian GP and his entrepreneur wife, the revolutionary ‘cave’ can help alleviate and/or eradicate many conditions, including: asthma, pneumonia, hay fever, bronchitis, sinusitis and cystic fibrosis.
(Please note: You should always consult your physician before undertaking any form of treatment)
The’salt therapy’ treatment is widely used in Eastern Europe and Russia and has been a popular natural therapy for around 200 years. In this part of the world, people with chronic breathing disorders often spend two to three hours every day in underground salt grottos. The Russian government even approved salt caves for medical use in 1995.
‘Salt therapy’ is medically proven and clinical research shows that treatment has, in many cases, resulted in a full recovery, including an 80% success rate among children, with 85% of adults symptomless for at least 1 year.
The purpose-built Maynooth clinic, opened earlier this year, recreates a natural salt cave micro-climate above the ground.
Particles of salt are ground up by a computerised, state-of-the-art machine – a salt micronizer – and a fine, dry, salty aerosol or spray is then circulated around the insulated room.
These particles, invisible to the naked eye, penetrate deep into the respiratory system. Minerals, including potassium and magnesium, help reduce inflammation and clean out mucus blocking the airways, at the same time as boosting the immune system and lung capacity.
The treatment is natural and 100% drug free.
Mrs Orsi Sarkozy, owner of Ireland’s first and only ‘salt cave,’ said: “We first used ‘salt therapy’ in Hungary back in 2007 when one of our children was ill with croupy cough. We took her to a salt cave in Budapest and she recovered very quickly after just two sessions.
“My husband, who’s worked as a practising GP in Ireland for 4 years, studied salt therapy for 2 years before we started our ‘salt cave’ business. He visited well-established salt caves in many countries in Europe and consulted doctors about the scientific background of this therapy. He is the Irish ‘salt cave’s’ medical advisor.”
She added: “A special air purifying system in our ‘cave’ produces a germ-free and allergen-free environment, together with continuously refreshed air. This clean air microclimate is then filled up with very low concentration dry salt aerosol. The salt concentration, humidity and temperature are continuously monitored and controlled.
“It has been proven that extremely clean, dry air and the presence of a low concentration of dry salt powder are responsible for the therapeutic effects which are helping so many of our asthma and allergy patients to leave their conditions behind and live ‘normal’ lives.
Up to 8 patients can relax in the ‘salt cave’ at one time and there are toys to keep children busy. The treatment is particularly effective for young people as they react well to natural treatments.
(Please note: You should always consult your physician before undertaking any form of treatment)
You keep putting ‘cave’ in quotes, but you really need to put ‘therapeutic’ and ‘alleviates’ and so on in quotes too.
And you should be ashamed of yourself for gullibly repeating claims that it cures Cystic Fibrosis. Really ashamed.
Hi Brendan, thanks for your comment. The word cave is in quotes because it’s not a real cave.
On reading it, my understanding was it helped alleviate CF not cure it. I will change it to read ‘and/or’ to avoid confusion and add in a warning.
Treatments for CF are listed here http://www.cff.org/treatments/Therapies/
You will notice that ‘clearing the airways’ is a major component of treatment. Inhaling ‘Hypertonic Saline’ is one such therapy (http://www.cff.org/treatments/Therapies/Respiratory/HypertonicSaline/). The salt ‘cave’ should have a similar effect.
Anything that helps can only be a good thing I feel.
But you are right however, and people should always consult with their GP before undertaking any form of treatment. Thanks for visiting our blog and I hope this helps clear things up.
Dear Brendan,
Thank you for your comment. It gives us opportunity to clarify misleading and misunderstandable terms . I know that our salt cave and its concept will generate kind of small tornado as this is the first dry salt aerosol therapy (DSAT) clinic in Ireland.
We put CF into medical conditions which for we recommend the dry salt aerosol therapy . We have done it because of the followings:
1. dry salt aerosol therapy clinics list CF as an indication for DSAT:
“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. ” from
http://searchwarp.com/swa483635-Speleotherapy-And-Asthma-Allergy-And-Other-Respiratory-Diseases.htm
2. NMJ has published a study about hypertonic saline inhalation for CF patients and concludes its beneficial effect.
You can read about it here: Mark R. Elkins, M.H.Sc., Michael Robinson, Ph.D., Barbara R. Rose, Ph.D., Colin Harbour, Ph.D.,Carmel P. Moriarty, R.N., Guy B. Marks, Ph.D., Elena G. Belousova, M.Appl.Sc., Wei Xuan, Ph.D.,and Peter T.P. Bye, Ph.D., for the National Hypertonic Saline in Cystic Fibrosis (NHSCF) Study Group: A Controlled Trial of Long-Term Inhaled Hypertonic Saline in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis, The New England Medical Journal January 19, 2006 vol. 354 no. 3
DSAT is a hypertonic salt. As hypertonic saline is a salt in water solution and water delivers the salt to the airways. In DSAT
1-5 micrometer dry salt crystals in 40% relative humidity air are able to travel down to remote areas of the bronchial tree. In my understanding due to its dry property its mucolytis effect is stronger.
3. Clinical study has been lauched officialy in Germany about DSAT on CF patients few weeks ago. I hope I can report about it soon on our website.
4. I am aware that Ireland has the highest rate of CF in the world and as a GP I am also aware of the available therapeutic options. We have created our salt cave in order to provide clinically proved and studied complementary/alternative therapy for respiratory ailments in Ireland. As we are unique with our treatment I took this opportunity to list CF in indications.
Of note on our website we do not state cure for any of the listed respiratory conditions.
I would be more than happy to give you more information or show you our salt cave in Maynooth.
Kind regards,
Dr Tamas Bakonyi
i have been suffering from Asthma ever since i was little kid. i can only manage it by taking medicines and some food supplements. ~
After four sessions in the salt cave I find at least a 30% improvement
in my condition. Cough has eased dramatically.
i have been suffering from sinusitis for so many years and i can only relieve the stuffiness of the nose by means of decongestants.~”
Hi im really interested in trying out the salt cave with my son who has a condition called cystic fibrosis. can you email me with the Germany research result as soon as they become available. as i was at a holistic fair today and there is a new salt clinc setup near my home. How often would an average person with cf have to attend and for how long. And can you specify if the research was carried out on children under 8. Are you aware of and side effect of this treatment on young childrens lungs
regards chloe
hello, I first heard that the salt caves also cures or eases skin conditions such as exema and dermititis but I don’t see this mentioned on the website
I suufer from from both asmatha and exema but was just wondering does the caves actualy help skin conditions?
thanks Orla