Sunday, July 16, 2000

Mountain cave cure for asthma

Developers of a private hospital being built deep in a mountain cave are planning to target asthma sufferers with an unusual treatment.

Britain has the highest rate of asthma in the world, three times the European average, and at least 30% of British children are believed to be sufferers. Many experts blame the problem on house dust mites which are attracted by the fitted carpets present in most homes. Only about 10% of continental homes have fitted carpets.

The Pounds 10m hospital is being constructed from among 500km of linked chambers in a disused silver mine in the Austrian Tyrol town of Schwaz. It will market "speleotherapy", a treatment which some asthmatics believe has cured them.

The air found in deep caves is almost free of pollen, dust mites and the irritants which provoke an allergic reaction. It has high humidity and a warm temperature which helps to reduce the inflammation of the lining of the lungs.

Germany and eastern Europe all recognise speleotherapy, but is almost unknown in Britain.

Sunday, July 16, 2000

Mountain cave cure for asthma

Developers of a private hospital being built deep in a mountain cave are planning to target asthma sufferers with an unusual treatment.

Britain has the highest rate of asthma in the world, three times the European average, and at least 30% of British children are believed to be sufferers. Many experts blame the problem on house dust mites which are attracted by the fitted carpets present in most homes. Only about 10% of continental homes have fitted carpets.

The Pounds 10m hospital is being constructed from among 500km of linked chambers in a disused silver mine in the Austrian Tyrol town of Schwaz. It will market "speleotherapy", a treatment which some asthmatics believe has cured them.

The air found in deep caves is almost free of pollen, dust mites and the irritants which provoke an allergic reaction. It has high humidity and a warm temperature which helps to reduce the inflammation of the lining of the lungs.

Germany and eastern Europe all recognise speleotherapy, but is almost unknown in Britain.