Turkish

Benefits and Analysis of our Thermal Spring

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Health from Underground


Turkey, which has significant underground resources as well as valuable assets on the surface, continues to be a center of attraction with its thermal springs and thermal facilities. With the Edremit Gulf on one side and the Ida Mountains on the other, Edremit is the center of all this international attention.
Water... It is a healing liquid that fulfills a vital physiological need when drunk, has a meditative effect with its sound, and helps treat numerous ailments with the minerals it contains. Steering the history of humanity in virtually every aspect, water has occupied a special place in our lives since the early ages. In the early days of medicine, water was used in the treatment of wounds and pain. Persian physician Avicenna conducted research on hot springs and healing waters with comprehensive results on which minerals were good for which ailments. According to his research, water containing iron, copper and salt could cure joint pain; salt water could help treat head and chest diseases; sulphurous mineral waters were good for wounds and boils on the skin. When his results are considered in the light of today's research, one can spot a remarkable parallelism.

*** Did you know?
“According to archaeological studies, thermal springs have been used for cleaning, relaxation, rejuvenation and treatment for about 5,000 years. Civilizations that have used water as a source of healing since the Bronze Age include Egyptians, Indians, Persians, Romans, Macedonians, and even Vikings.”

Healing Both Body and Spirit

It is safe to say that, when this 5,000-year-old ancient scientific tradition, which could be dubbed “healing from water”, is combined with today's global health policies, corresponds to "thermal tourism", the rising trend of the 21st century. Modern medicine currently focuses on maintaining good health rather than curing diseases. Therefore, thermal facilities play an important role for societies where a healthy lifestyle is valued and encouraged. People who are looking for ways to rest, rejuvenate, receive treatment and rehabilitation in a protected environment, making the best of suitable climatic conditions, sun and social/physical opportunities rush to thermal facilities.
Our country has a great potential in this regard. Located on an important geothermal belt, Turkey has turned into a health and wellness center with its extremely rich natural resources and hot springs. According to data from MTA, there are around 1,500 natural hot springs in Turkey with temperatures ranging between 20 and 110 degrees Celsius and flow rates between 2 and 500 liters per second. The fact that vast majority of these resources have natural origins and are rich in sulphur, salt and radon with high mineral content required for hot spring therapy and that the regions where the hot springs are located have a suitable climate allowing for longer hot spring therapy seasons makes Turkey an ideal thermal tourism destination. Turkey, which is home to nearly 300 geothermal fields, ranks fourth in the world by their numbers and is also positioned as one of the leading countries in Europe in terms of healing geothermal waters and hot springs. Countless tourists travel to Turkey from all over the world all year round to heal their bodies and spirit in our country's unique thermal facilities.

Receive Hot Spring Therapy Once a Year

In order for thermal water to be used for treatment purposes, that water must be natural thermal water originating from underground. Moreover, the water temperature must be above 20 degrees and there must be at least 1 gram of mineral per liter. Experts recommend that individuals who do not have any health problems, as well as patients with chronic diseases, should receive hot spring therapy once a year to support treatment in case of possible illness.
The most basic thermal treatment applications are hot spring bath, mud applications (peloid), gas bath, drinking therapy, respiratory therapy (inhalation) and sea therapy (thalassotherapy).
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism defines thermal tourism as “a tourism movement that includes the use of thermal waters, mud, the climatic and natural conditions around the hot spring by specialist physicians for physiotherapy, rehabilitation and other therapies in tandem with other treatment options such as exercise and diet”.

*** Did you know?
Research reveal that the Anatolian culture, which is synonymous with water, uses 25 different names when referring to healing waters such as hot springs, thermal springs, mineral springs, salt water, etc.

What Hot Spring Therapy is Good For

  • Respiratory diseases: Bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergic upper respiratory tract diseases and pneumoconiosis. Climatotherapy is mostly preferred for such diseases.
  • Skin diseases and disorders: Mainly eczema, acne, psoriasis, neurodermitis, chronic residual urticaria.
  • Gynecological conditions: Bath therapy is mostly preferred for such conditions. Conditions such as chronic genital diseases, vegetative ovarian failure, functional sterility, postoperative adhesion prophylaxis, dysmenorrhea and fluorine are in this category.
  • Kidney and urinary tract diseases: These are chronic pyelonephritis, chronic cystitis, chronic prostatitis, kidney stones and functional failure. Drinking therapy, healing mud and bath thearpy are the main treatment options used for these conditions.
  • Cardiovascular diseases: Compensated heart failure, functional circulatory disorder, essential hypertension, varicose veins, peripheral arterial diseases, essential hypotension. Bath and climate therapies are preferred for such diseases.
  • Neurological diseases: Vascular neurological diseases, central and peripheral chronic inflammatory diseases, spinal diseases, traumatic lesions, spastic paralysis, neuropathy and myopathy, stroke rehabilitation and neurovegetative dystonia. Different therapies are applied.
  • Musculoskeletal disorders: Degenerative joint diseases (calcifications), soft tissue rheumatism, some inflammatory rheumatic diseases (ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), the healing process following orthopedic interventions and traumas. Bath therapy is mostly preferred for such disorders.
  • Types of Use of Thermal Facilities for Health Purposes

  • Protection: Healthy living and aging, delaying aging, boosting immunity and vitality.
  • Treatment: Symptom relieving treatments and therapies, supportive care programs, activities to improve quality of life and focusing on physical problems.
  • Rehabilitation: After medical procedures, trauma and/or surgery; as a regulator after musculoskeletal-nervous system disorders; after cardiovascular diseases; for support after respiratory problems.
  • Relaxing, entertainment and recreation.
  • Sociocultural / health: Fitness, wellness methods, fighting obesity, relaxation and stretching exercises, other complementary and supportive methods.
  • Analysis of the Thermal Spring

    The results of the medical balneological evaluation of the quality of the thermal spring water of the Heramis Thermal Resort, located in the Altınoluk Neighborhood of the Edremit District of Balıkesir Province conducted at the Medical Evaluation Board meeting on 29.07.2019 are as follows:
    The thermal spring, the sample of which was evaluated, has a total mineralization of (3109.0 mg/lt.), a calcium sulfate content of Ca 522.6 mgm/Lt., SO4 2065.2 mgm/Lt.
    It can be used, under the supervision of a physician, in bath therapy applications, in the chronic periods of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, in the treatment of non-inflammatory joint diseases such as chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis, in the treatment of soft tissue diseases such as myositis, tendinitis, trauma, fibromyalgia syndrome, in the treatment of long-term conditions such as orthopedic operations, after neurosurgery and for mobilization in cases of inactivity and as complementary therapy.
    It can be used for selected cases, for functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and urolithiasis, for drinking cures under the supervision of a physician and for a defined cure period.

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