Therapeutic fever can relieve chronic diseases

Heat and high humidity lead to hyperthermia
"Give me a means of producing a fever, and I heal every disease," the Greek philosopher Parmenides said more than 2,500 years ago. Fever is still considered a natural defense reaction of the body, which helps to overcome diseases. In medicine, there are various ways to use such a therapeutic fever targeted. Thus, the local hyperthermia, which remains limited to a specific organ or a body part, especially in modern cancer treatment is used. By contrast, treatment of the whole body with moderate hyperthermia has a positive effect on many chronic diseases.

Basically, most people feel most comfortable with relative humidity between 30 and 70 percent. "From a medical point of view, temporarily higher air humidity makes perfect sense, especially in combination with high temperatures," explains Univ.-Doz. Dr. Bertram HölzI, scientific director of the Gastein Heilstollen. Because under these conditions the hyperthermia effect sets in. In response, the body attempts to create evaporative coldness by sweating with subsequent evaporation of the sweat, thereby cooling the skin. However, when the ambient air is saturated with moisture, the body core temperature increases to levels of up to 38.5 degrees.

Feigning fever is a common phenomenon in Münchhausen syndrome. Image: Gina Sanders - fotolia

Experts speak here of moderate hyperthermia or therapeutic fever. The defense cells work more effectively under these conditions. There is an acceleration of metabolic and detoxification processes, to increase blood circulation and to relax aching muscles. Patients can more quickly and better overcome infections, inflammation or pain such as those that occur in rheumatism and skin diseases. Patients with chronic pain who do not use conventional pain management techniques often benefit particularly well from alternative pain management.

Even more effective is a combination of radon, heat and high humidity. "Radon has been used as a cure for over 100 years in low dose. It sets in motion many biological processes with a variety of positive effects, "says Dr. Hölzl. "The natural noble gas stimulates the body's own repair mechanisms, reduces the activity of inflammatory cells and inhibits the release of painkillers. This benefits patients with degenerative joint diseases as well as those with inflammatory processes. However, Radon only develops its optimal health benefits when combined with temperatures above 37.5 degrees and with high humidity of up to 100 percent. The overheating of the body has an independent therapeutic effect and additionally improves radon absorption and distribution in the body.

The so-called Radonwärmetherapie is recommended as part of a multi-week cure. Patients then drive several times into a thermal tunnel 2,000 meters deep into the mountain and use the naturally occurring climate there for about one hour. Cures with Radonbehandlungsserien are recognized by health insurance companies, the extent of the cost must be approved by the health insurance.