A short narrative review of the effectiveness of sulphurous mineral water inhalation in upper and lower airway diseases

The therapeutic effect of sulphrous water are attributed to the presence of sulpfur, mainy in the form of hydrogen sulphide which has anti-inflammatory, antispetic, immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties acting as a scavenger for reative oxygen species and increasing the level of superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Sulphurous mineral water inhalations are used to treat respiratory and otolaryngological chronic inflammatory process putting thermal water in direct contact with the mucous upper and lower airway with mucolytic, vasodlating and trphic effects, exerting a fluidifying action on bronchial secretion and reducing mucocyliary transport time. Several clinical studies show the effectiveness of sulphurous mineral water inhalation in the treatment and prevention of upper and lwer airway chronic inflammatory diseases in adult and children. They can represent a well-accepted integrative therapy to drug treatment for health improvement, by increasing natural defences also in the case of seasonal viral epidemics.