ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2010 August;169(4):131-6

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

The role of spa therapy with politzer method in dysfunction of the eustachian tube

Costantino M. ^{1, 2, 4}, Mastursi C ³, Contaldi E. ^{3, 4}, Di Capua M. ³, Filippelli A. ¹

¹ Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sezione Farmacologia “L. Donatelli”, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Napoli 2 CE.RI.S.T., Centro Ricerche e Studi Termali, Bacoli (NA) 3 Terme di Stabia, Castellammare (NA) 4 F.I.R.S.Thermae (Formazione Interdisciplinare, Ricerche e Scienze Termali), Bacoli (NA)

Aim. In the childrens chronic rhino-pharyngitis processes and chronic catarrhalis otitis induce dysfunction of the Eustachian Tube that in the long run can hesitate in rhinogenic deafness. The data of literature on effectiveness of Politzer method in childrens is scarce. The aim of our study has been to analyze the effectiveness and safety of the aerosol+Politzer with a sulphur mineral water in childrens affected by rhinogenic deafness or chronic inflammatory processes responsible for the onset or persistence of rhinogenic deafness.
Materials and methods. The study has been performed on 21 subjects (57% women and 43% males; mean age: 6±2,5 years; age range: 3-13 years) affected by chronic rhino- pharyngitis inflammation and chronic catarrhalis otitis with mono or bilateral dysfunction of the Eustachian Tube. The investigated subjects underwent 12 consecutive days sulphur SPA inhalatory therapy (aerosol+politzer) from Terme of Stabia in Castellammare (Naples-Italy). At the beginning and at the end of the SPA cycle the functionality of the middle ear and the tolerability are evaluated.
Results. No adverse reaction to the SPA inhalatory therapy has been reported during the study. The results have shown global improvement of excellent-good of the middle ear function in 67% of the cases.
Conclusions. Our data demonstrated the utility of the sulphur SPA inhalatory treatment (aerosol+Politzer) in childrens with improvement of their quality of life.