breath test

{{Short description|Tests done on air exhaled from lungs}}

{{More medical citations needed|date=July 2014}}

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A breath test is a type of test performed on air generated from the act of exhalation.{{MeshName|Breath+Tests}}

Types include:

• Breathalyzer – by far the most common usage of this term relates to the legal breath test to determine if a person is driving under the influence of alcohol.
• Hydrogen breath test – it is becoming more and more common for people to undertake a medical test for clinical diagnosis of dietary disabilities such as fructose intolerance, fructose malabsorption, lactose intolerance and lactulose intolerance.
• The presence of Helicobacter pylori (in peptic ulcer disease) can be tested for with the urea breath test.
• Exhaled nitric oxide is a breath test that might signal airway inflammation such as in asthma.
• Breath tests for diseases have been developed for early detection of lung cancer, breast cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis and many others, to serve as an adjunct to existing medical tests. A trial will commence at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England to confirm the efficacy of these breath tests.{{cite web|url=https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2019/01/03/a-breath-test-with-the-goal-of-detecting-multiple-cancers-is-ready-to-start-trials/|title=A breath test with the goal of detecting multiple cancers is ready to start trials|date=January 3, 2019 |first=Gabriella|last=Beer|work=Cancer Research UK|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} Phase II and Phase III clinical studies by Menssana Research, Inc. in the United States are also under way.{{cite web|title=Menssana Research, Inc.|accessdate=January 6, 2019|url=https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/229962|website=United States Government Small Business Innovation Research program }}