Past, present, and possible outlooks of speleogalotherapy in patients with chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma

Currently available technologies of medical care for patients with chronic non-specific lung diseases (CNLDs), including those with chronic bronchitis and asthma, make it possible to move the epicenter of active treatment from the inpatient to the outpatient facilities. Among the existing non-pharmacological treatments for CNLDs, speleogalotherapy has become increasingly popular. Speleogalotherapy is a specific type of treatment using the microclimate of karst caves, salt mines, or artificial climate chambers of various modifications. The microclimate of karst caves is characterized by a relatively high degree of radioactivity and air ionization, presence of a highly dispersed aerosol, increased concentration of carbon dioxide, relatively low temperature, high absolute humidity, absence of microbes and allergens, and stability of meteorological factors. Multiple studies evaluating different variants of speleogalotherapy in patients with chronic bronchitis and asthma suggest that this type of treatment ensures positive effect in both groups of patients. The dry fine salt aerosol mainly affects the bronchial tree and increases the activity of the respiratory epithelium resulting in an increased sputum production with subsequent cleansing of the bronchi. It also ensures disinfection, which eliminates or mitigates existing respiratory dysbacteriosis.