Despite of obvious success in treatment of bronchial asthma ("International Consensus on diagnostics and treatment of asthma", 1995, Saint-Petersburg.) and increasing production of antasthmatics, the high rate of morbidity and mortality from asthma encouraged us to develop a new medico-biological technology of integration treatment of this complicated, often unpredictable disease.
To achieve the goal and improve the quality of life integration of different methods on treatment of asthma was made:
1. rational classic medicament therapy;
2. inherited usage of natural sanative factors "caves" allocated in banks of rock white salt Arindge-Avan deposits, bottom of Biblical Sea;
3. realization of tactical medical procedures in strategic program of medico-sanitary control;
Treatment is conducted in several phases. Course of the treatment makes up 3-4-5 weeks, per 5 sessions of speleotherapy each week. Continuance of each session makes up 3-6-9 hours of daily stay in the "cave" according to the phase, degree of course and form of asthma. The methods of rational medicament treatment and technology of Armenian traditional medicine are integrated in the structure of speleotherapy. Corrective procedures are carried out during 3-7 weeks before the beginning of speleotherapy. Medico-sanitary control is implemented after the accomplishment of the course of speleotherapy, including treatment in distance (by modern ways of connection) during 1-2-3 years till the sustainable remission is achieved.
Effectiveness of the treatment was determined by analysis of quantitative shift of the number of patients in %% from general number (1620) according to the degree of the course:1 degree - easy episodic; 2 degree - easy persistent; 3 degree - average difficult; 4 degree - difficult course (Classification of WHO, 1992, Geneva).
According to the table the majority of patients (80%) at reception had symptoms characteristic of average difficult (45%) and difficult course of the disease (35%). At the end of the course of speleotherapy the number of patients with symptoms of average (15%) and difficult course (5%) has significantly decreased. In a month after the discharge they made up only 5%. After 6 months of speleotherapy the number of patients with average difficult and difficult course insignificantly increased compared with 3 months, but remained lesser than was after the discharge. However the remission maintained during the 6 months of observation and following year. In solitary instances of exasperation the disease proceeded more successfully, the attacks were cupped off easier.

19a Garegin Njdeh str., apt. 107, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 10) 44 7373
Fax: (+374 10) 44 7373
E-mail: natter@armencell.am

Centre director
Andranik Voskanyan