Indications, contraindications and possible side‐effects of climatotherapy at the Dead‐Sea

The Dead-Sea is the lowest itihahited place on earth, about 400 tn below sea level. It lies in the southern part of Israel and is a part of the Great Rift Valley which extends from Western Syria to the East African Lakes. It is the most saline lake known to mankind, with about 32% w/v of a salt mixture. The tiieati air temperatures of the Dead-Sea are about 32. °C in the summer, with peaks of 4O°C or more, and I9°C in the winter, with an average year-round temperature in the shade of 3o°C. The mean relative humidity is a low 27% in the summer atid 38% in the winter. The additional weight of the overlyitig atmosphere results in a barometric pressure of 1050-1066 millibars, significantly higher than that on the ocean shore. As a consequence, there are raised oxygen tension and concentration in the area. With more than 300 sunny days per year, the Dead-Sea is attracting yearly an ever-growing number of patients, suffering frotn a variety of diseases. ' It is known for balneological properties, providing climatotherapy, especially for ailments of dermatological and rheumatological origin. The highly successful treatment of such diseases at the Dead-Sea does not involve the use of drugs, and is attributed to a variety of natural factors, the major ones being the mineral content of the sea, the thick haze hanging over it, and the filtered ultraviolet radiation. Psychological and ecological factors have also been taken into consideration in this respect. The high mineral content of the Dead-Sea has been considered a major factor in treating a variety of diseases. The sea contains about 32.0 g/L salts, of which KCl, CaClj, and NaCI (with their respective bromides) are the major components, comprising 98% of the salt on a dry weight basis. Compared to the ocean, the Dead-Sea is richer in its proportions of calciutn, tiiagnesium, potassium and bromide, and lower in its proportions of sodiutn, sulfate and carbonate. ^ It has been reported that repeated in the Dead-Sea for a certain length of titne has a utic effect on some skin diseases,' and penetration of C)ead-Sea minerals through hutnan and guinea-pig skin through bathing in this hypertonic salt sokitioti has been dernotistrated and quantified. •• Irtimersion in tnineral baths causes three types of stitnulatiotX: thermal, mechanical, and chetnical. The thermal and meclianical stimulations occur in any hydro-therapeutic n^etJrjod, and their effects stem from the water medium itself. From a baltieological point of view, water has high thermal capacity and conductivity and high indifferent temjperature that may rise to io°C above that of the surrounding air. The thermal stitnulatioti causes vasodilatatioii, etihances blood circulation and decreases blood pressure, while the body's temperature rises. The mechanical stimulation includes a loss of a part of the body's weight, when floating and, consequently, movements become easier. The body resists the flotation force and therefore the output and the rhythm of the heart increases and breathing becQixies deeper. The chetnical stimulatioti is directly related to tl\e particular composition of the tnineral waters. ' element which is abundant in the Dead-Sea and 481