Download DeaD Sea remeDieS: at tHe LOweSt pOiNt ON eartH

O c tob er, 2008
M e dic a l / SPA : Health Spa for Ki d s
Dead Sea Remedies: At the
Lowest Point on Earth
T
here are few places for vacation as relaxing as the Dead
Sea – the blue, sunny skies, waveless sea; numerous
spas and hotels make it a pleasure to be there. But being there
can give you more than a chance to unwind: you could also find
relief from a range of heart, lung and skin diseases (like Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis, Vitiligo, and Mycosis Fungoides).
Doctors who have been studying the therapeutic effects of the
Dead Sea have long pointed out that the unique atmosphere
and topography of the area are beneficial to health of both
adults and children. The low altitude of the sea, 402 meters
(1,319 feet) below sea level, causes high oxygen concentrations and barometric pressure, and allows many of the sun's
harmful ultraviolet rays to be filtered out by the layer of mineral
gases that hang as a cloud over the sea.
Pulmonary experts claim that being at the Dead Sea for a
week or two can have a beneficial effect especially on children
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O c tob er, 2008
M e dic a l / SPA : Health Spa for Ki d s
PSychosocial Factor
At the Dead Sea, patients are in a natural health oriented environment which promotes relaxation and reduces psychological
stress, a factor which is often associated with Psoriasis, and can
aggravate its condition. Patients staying at the Dead Sea experience very different conditions from those experienced in hospitals or other conventional clinics around the world. The common
Dead Sea treatment incorporates psychological features that can
favorably influence the course of the disease. Patients are accommodated in all category hotels and participate willingly in social
activities. In fact, they form an “International Club”, strike up
friendships and discuss common problems with each other. Thus
the quality of life rises or, as one patient remarked: “...at the Dead
Sea I am a welcome guest and not a patient”.
incurable genetic skin disease that causes itchy, unsightly red
scales on any part of the body, from the scalp to the soles of the
feet. Sunlight is known to improve the condition of psoriasis patients, but they cannot expose themselves to ordinary sunlight
for long periods because of the risk of skin cancer. However,
the low altitude and mineral clouds at the Dead Sea filters out
most of the UV radiation, allowing patients to lie in the sun for
hours at a time without even reddening. This experience has
been found to be particularly beneficial to patients with psoriatic
scales over more than 20 percent of their bodies who cannot
benefit from laser and other localized treatments.
While relief from these lung and skin diseases has been recognized for a number of years, Prof. Edward Abinader of the Israel Institute of Technology, believes that a stay at the Dead Sea
can also help heart patients. He examined 24 patients–12 with
heart conditions and 12 without–first in Haifa (427 feet above
sea level) and then at the Dead Sea, and found that cardiac
patients showed signs of better overall cardiac performance at
the Dead Sea. He says that the high-pressure oxygen improves
the delivery of the gas to the heart and lungs, thus improving
their performance.
"I originally set out to prove that the Dead Sea wouldn't harm
patients with cardiac problems, but I discovered that it actually
helps them," Abinader said. "Patients were able to exert themselves significantly more there than in other environments."
as well as adults suffering from breathing difficulties, and these
effects can last for several months. Ben-Gurion University Prof.
Asher Tal, Rabin Medical Center lung expert Professor Mordechai Kramer and Clalit Health Services physician Dr. Eldar
Berkovits agree that the high-pressure oxygen and salts benefit
patients of all ages suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF), emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
CF is an incurable hereditary disorder in which large amounts
of mucus clog the lungs, causing frequent chronic lung infections, which can only be ameliorated by physiotherapy to break
up the mucus, or a lung transplant. The disease affects thousands of young people worldwide, including scores of children.
"The high oxygen level at the Dead Sea gives the patients
more oxygen in their blood, thereby improving their breathing
efficiency. This helps them exercise and eases their daily life,"
Berkovits explains. «The Dead Sea air is also free of pollen,»
he adds.
Kramer notes that CF patients not only enjoy an improved
quality of life while at the Dead Sea, but this continues after they
have returned home. "We found that the higher the altitude of
the patient's regular residence, the greater was the benefit of a
sojourn at the Dead Sea."
Many children from various countries enjoy the healing effects of the Dead Sea (or the Salt Sea as the locals call it) either
with their parents or as participants of special medical holiday
for kids. Many times their health insurance agencies, especially
the European ones, subsidize the trips and therapies for the
little patients. Children who spend some time in this region are
then less likely to contract infections and thus require less treatment when they return home.
Professor Michael David, a senior dermatologist at the Rabin
Medical Center in Petah Tikva, has conducted numerous studies showing that psoriasis sufferers go into remission for many
months after spending weeks at the Dead Sea. Psoriasis is an
(text shortened)
By Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
http://www.mfa.gov.il
http://www.deadsea-health.org
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