A new test can let doctors determine if a person has allergies or asthma.
According to a new study from the University of Wisconsin that was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), there is now a test that can determine whether somebody is suffering from chronic asthma or allergies. While both breathing afflictions can present the same symptoms, it is not effective to treat them the same way. Now, doctors will be able to tell a patient exactly what is wrong with them.
In order to find the asthma-related biomarker, the university researchers looked at the immune system’s white blood cells known as neutrophils, which behaved differently in the body in asthmatic patients than in non-asthmatic ones. It is the movement of the neutrophils that is the entire basis for the new test. Instead of testing a patient for simple airway constriction – a symptom both asthma and allergies patients share – doctors can now conduct a neutrophil chemotaxis test, which looks at the behavior of immune cells.
By looking at how the immune cells are reacting in the body, health officials will now be able to determine if a person is suffering from allergies or asthma. They will be able to look at the main inflammatory cells and what the cause of the altered cells’ function is. This information will be very useful in determining the health of a patient and what needs to be done to help their breathing issues. This simple test can be conducted with just a drop of blood, instead of a patient waiting for their next asthma attack.
If you suffer from breathing difficulties, a great way to help manage your symptoms is with a home air purifier. Shop with US Air Purifiers Direct 2U for our wide selection of high-quality products!