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Physician Information

Dead Sea Salt Solution

Otolaryngologists have been using salt or saline nasal sprays and washes for allergies and sinus disease for hundreds of years. Recently hypertonic saline solution has been tested and recommended. However, some studies have showed this may cause more harm to the cilia in the sinus and nasal cavities and is not embraced by all Otolaryngologist. The Dead Sea salt solution has been tested and shown not to have any harmful effects on the cilia.

The Dead Sea is the worlds lowest and most saline lake. Its 30% salt composition has proportionately more calcium, magnesium, bromine, and potassium and less sodium, sulfate, and carbonate than any ocean. The Dead Sea brine is characterized by a unique chemical composition. Unlike any other sea salt in the world the Dead Sea salts dominant cation is magnesium. The Dead Sea salts comprise about 35% of magnesium salts.

The role of intravenous magnesium sulfate for acute asthma is well established. Asthma is an allergic-type reaction, known to have increased amounts of eosinophils. This is a similar reaction to allergic rhinitis. Other studies by Rolla et al. demonstrate magnesium sulfate inhibits histamine effects. Magnesium has been shown to significantly improve Asthma treated at the Dead Sea. Asthmatic conditions treated at the Dead Sea for 4 weeks have shown 36.8% of them suspended their medications, and those who continued with medical treatments reduced the frequency of their puffs by 43%.

The successful treatment for Psoriasis by the Dead Sea salts has also been well established. The German health care system will pay for patients to travel to the Dead Sea for treatment. Numerous treatment sites have been set up in Europe. It has been shown that the inhibitory effects of magnesium bromide and magnesium chloride on cell growth were significantly stronger than those of their corresponding potassium salts or sodium chloride. This is why greater than 94% of psoriatic patients respond to the Dead Sea salt treatment and not to other sea salt . This is important because other sea salts have more potassium and sodium salts than do the Dead Sea salts. German studies have shown Dead Sea salts have lead to reduced amounts of Langerhans cells in the epidermis; however, salts of sodium chloride were without effect at all. Schempp et al, not only confirmed these findings, but also showed functional relevance by using magnesium ions from the Dead Sea salt to significantly reduce the capacity of epidermal cells to activate allogeneic T cells, suppressed Langerhans cells function, reduced expression by Langerhans cells of HLA-DR and costimulatory B7 molecules, and with a suppression of the constitutive tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by epidermal cells in vitro.

In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of hypertonic Dead Sea solutions on atopic dermatitis via magnesium ions is well established. Other studies show Dead Sea solution significantly reduced inflammation in allergic contact dermatitis. This was borne out in 5 patients with a known nickel allergy, in whom magnesium chloride but not sodium chloride, suppressed nickel sulfate-induced contact dermatitis. Again the cutaneous anti-inflammatory action of the Dead Sea salt is thought to be due to magnesium ions. Leukotriene B4, produced from eicosanoids by enzyme 5-lipoxygenase, is a potent regulator in diseases involving inflammatory reactions. In human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro, high concentrations of magnesium not only abrogate or annul the liberation of arachidonic acid (eiconosoid precursor) but also directly inhibit the activity of 5-lipoxygenase, thereby reducing leukotriene B4 production . Further studies have shown the Dead Sea salt solution to be an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis and significantly better than saline solution. This study has not been published, but will be in the near future.

Studies from the Mayo Clinic have shown a new model in the etiology of chronic sinusitis. They have shown the eosinophils exit the tissue membrane in response to extramucosal fungi. The eosinophils then degranulate major basic protein, which kills the fungi. Unfortunately this also causes damage to the mucosa and allows bacteria to enter and cause infection. The Dead Sea salt irrigation is helpful by first eliminating the fungi or any allergen by wash effect from the irrigation process that could cause an immune response as seen in allergic rhinitis or chronic fungal sinusitis as noted above.

The role of magnesium is thought to stabilize eosinophils, which degranulate major basic protein; and mast cells, which degranulate histamine. It is known when magnesium levels decrease in the blood the levels of eosinophils and histamine increase. Magnesium also inhibits the eosinophils from exocytosis or degranulation.It would be reasonable to assume magnesium delivered via the Dead Sea salt to the nasal mucosa would inhibit the eosinophils from releasing major basic protein and the mast cell from releasing histamine. Magnesium probably enters the nasal mucosa having its effect inside and outside the nasal mucosa. This in essence decreases the immune response, produces an anti-inflammatory response, and preserves the nasal mucosa.

The Dead Sea salt solution is safer and better than saline spray in the treatment for allergies and sinus disorders because of its anti-inflammatory effect.

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