(Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Coughs are one of the most common reasons patients see a doctor. For patients with chronic ones, diagnosis and treatment can be frustrating; but new, simple test could help millions crack the mystery of their persistent problem.
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Registered nurse Judy Rueggs suffers from a chronic cough.
"Sometimes, my patients will say to me, 'You need to see a doctor," Rueggs told Ivanhoe.
Today's a good day for Rueggs. She's trying a new test that's helping others find relief. The exhaled nitric oxide test at the Mayo Clinic has major advantages over a more commonly used test, the methacholine challenge.
"It's simpler, it's quicker, [it's] non-invasive, [and it has] no side effects," Peter Hanh, M.D., a pulmonologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told Ivanhoe.
The test measures inflammation in the lungs' bronchial tubes. An abnormal score indicates if a patient has a treatable cause of chronic cough. Pulmonologists like Dr. Hahn say the four main causes of chronic cough are post-nasal drip, acid reflux, asthma and a type of non-asthmatic bronchitis.
With just a few breaths, the new test allows doctors to find out which patients suffer from two treatable conditions, asthma and bronchitis.
"[By doing] this very simple, non-invasive test up front, we were able to find patients who were responsive to inhaled corticosteroids as a treatment for their cough," Dr. Hahn said.
Rueggs sees firsthand how this test helps her patients.
"They think it's wonderful there's another test that can really zero in on their diagnosis," Rueggs said.
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