Researchers have developed a simple nasal brush test than can accurately identify mild to moderate asthma in a cheaper way than pulmonary diagnostics. The most common tests for asthma are spirometry, which measures how much and how quickly air can blow out of lungs, and methacholine, which is an agent that, when inhaled, causes the airways to spasm and narrow if asthma is present. The nasal brush which works the way it sounds can more easily and comfortably differentiate an asthma diagnosis from other respiratory conditions, including allergic rhinitis, smoking, upper respiratory infection and cystic fibrosis.
Researchers at Mount Sinai in New York published their findings monday on the new test in the journal Scientific Reports . "Mild to moderate asthma can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms change over time and can be complicated by other respiratory conditions, a physician…
