Pollution and smog: how to counter its effects with spa treatments

Air pollution poses a growing threat to respiratory health. Learn how spa treatments can help counteract the negative effects of particulate matter and improve airway wellness.

Smog alerts rise and fall, red dot days with major pollution concentrations enveloping cities and plains.
Increasingly, high concentrations of fine particulate matter, also due to prolonged dry spells, can cause health damage, particularly to the respiratory system.

In fact, smog particles have an irritating and inflammatory effect on the airways, promoting the development of chronic respiratory diseases.
Every day the respiratory tract is exposed to the passage of large volumes of air containing toxic substances, dust, chemicals and microorganisms.

Although the respiratory system possesses a variety of biological defense mechanisms that, in normal situations, are able to oppose harmful agents, the prolonged action of several concomitant causes (cigarette smoke, environmental pollution chemical dusts) can compromise our body’s defense system.
Pollution and climate change, particularly rising temperatures, affect the pollination season (which is longer than in the past) and contribute to the stimulation of allergic responses in the population, and it is predicted that by 2030 nearly 40% of Italians will suffer from allergic rhinitis.

Anti-smog spa cures.

” Thermal cures, when coupled with traditional pharmacological treatments, are an important aid in counteracting the damage of pollution, particularly with regard to relapsing or chronic forms of inflammation, such as BCPO (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and in stimulating the body’s local and systemic immune defenses,” explains Dr. Moana Manicone, an expert in thermal medicine.

This is confirmed by major studies published in the most important scientific journals, starting in 1913 when one of the first articles on this subject came out in Jama.
“Subsequent studies have shown howhydrogen sulfide present in sulfurous waters decreases the inflammatory state of the airways, as well as having fluidifying action on mucus secretions characteristic of inflammatory respiratory diseases.
Added to these beneficial effects is the synergism of thesalso-bromo-iodine thermal water with its anti-inflammatory and immune system-stimulating action.”

Mud bath s are also important.
By increasing tolerability to muscle fatigue, they help to increase the expansion of the rib cage, which is often reduced by increased function of accessory respiratory muscles.
“Hydrotherapy, inhalations and mud baths decrease inflammatory status and congestion, facilitating expectoration: the goal is to increase the interval between the occurrence of acute episodes and reduce the intensity of events while reducing drug therapy.”

In summary

The use of thermal waters, especially sulfur waters, is indicated for:

Effectively counteract the damage produced by environmental pollutants: have regenerative effect on the respiratory mucosa and antioxidant effect
decrease the inflammatory state
Lengthen the intervals of onset of symptoms
Preventing the flare-up of chronic conditions
stimulate the immune system

It is important to remember: before embarking on a spa course, a visit to your general practitioner or specialist is necessary, who will prescribe the mode and timing of treatment.

Alsoread .

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Pollution and smog: how to counter its effects with spa treatments