AIM
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of balneotherapy for the women of various employments presenting with arterial hypertension.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study included 57 women with stage I (n=29) and II (n=28) hypertension. One study group was comprised of 28 female motor drivers including taxi-drivers (n=12), personal car drivers (n=7), and trolleybus drivers (n=9) at the mean age of 46.2±6.9 years suffering from occupational emotional stress (OES) and systematic psychoemotional tension (PET). Another group consisted of 29 female service system operators and included teachers (n=14), medical professionals (n=8), and social workers (n=7) at the mean age of 46.1±7.0 years whose activities was either associated with PET or involved hard emotional labour (HEL). The severity of the disease, and the age of the members of the two groups exposed to PET or HEL were not significantly different. Both groups were formed by means of random assignment. All the patients were subdivided into two groups: group 1 was comprised of 29 women and included 15 service system operators and 14 those exposed to HEL; the major therapeutic factor chosen for their treatment was taking thermal nitrogen mineral baths (36—37 degrees Celsius during 15 min., 8—10 sessions per treatment course). The patients of group 2 (n=28 including 14 service system operators and 14 those exposed to HEL) underwent treatment with the use of bromiodine mineral baths (36—37 degrees Celsius during 15 min., 8—10 sessions per treatment course). ECG, 24hr arterial blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), and psychophyisiological testing (PPT) were used alongside with the routine general clinical examination and laboratory studies to evaluate the outcome and overall effectiveness of balneotherapy.
RESULTS
The clinical and instrumental characteristics of the participants in the study (health status, peripheral and coronary hemodynamics, etc.) gave evidence of the considerable improvement in the general health status of 89.6% and 87.7% of the women suffering from arterial hypertension following their treatment with the use of nitric and bromiodnine thermal baths, respectively. At the same time, the patients of group 1 exhibited the marked improvement in the condition of the fast response system while those of group 2 experienced either the deterioration of the occupationally significant functions and characteristics (in 48.3% cases) or did not show their dynamic whatever (in 51.1% cases).
CONCLUSION
The present study has demonstrated the high effectiveness of balneotherapy for the women of various professional employments presenting with stage I and II arterial hypertension making use of bromiodine mineral bath therapy even though such treatment resulted in the deterioration of professional functions and qualities in 48.3% of the cases; in contrast, the nitrogen-thermal therapy improved the working capacity of the patients. Based on these observations, it is recommended that the psychophysiological testing should be practiced following balneotherapy before the women with arterial hypertension resume their occupational activities.
