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Olympic breathing test can be used to diagnose exercise-induced asthma in t

Category: Allergy Testing

The medical test that is regularly used to diagnose elite athletes with the common breathing problem known as exercise-induced asthma (EIA) can be used to identify pulmonary issues in a wider array of patients, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center found that eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation testing (UVH), the recommended way to diagnose EIA in Olympians, can also be used to identify exercise-induced breathing disorders in the general public.

"Our data suggests this is an accurate and feasible way to diagnose EIA in patients who are not necessarily elite athletes," said principal investigator of the study Jonathan Parsons.

"It is important to know how substantial a decline there may be in a patient’s lung function due to exercise. If we find the patient does have exercise-induced asthma, we can then provide personalized therapeutic treatment for these patients," he added.

EIA is characterized by coughing, wheezing and the feeling of being uncomfortably out of breath soon after exercise. Treatments for the disorder include inhalers, oral medication and allergy shots, according to the Mayo Clinic.