Diagnosis through ... breath

Experts at Swansea University, England, are using a device to test breathing solubles to diagnose fast illnesses, including cancer.

The idea of ​​analyzing compounds in breath samples to detect cancer, diabetes and other diseases is not new. However, many such techniques were previously considered rudimentary and unreliable.

Breath diagnosis will help patients reduce test costs by a lot.(Photo: BBC)

Dr. Masood Yousef, a senior research assistant at Swansea University's Printing and Coating Center, is using advanced techniques to analyze the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breaths. ."Studies have shown that a high concentration of certain VOCs in the breath may be associated with disease," he said.

"For example, the smell of" pear drops "and acetone are correlated with diabetes, ammonium is associated with hepatitis and dimethyl sulphide with chronic hepatitis. There are also certain compounds that seem to mark presence of certain types of cancer ".

He also hopes the research will help develop simple test tools, give positive results for specific diseases, help reduce costs, and do not need doctors who are too specialized to diagnose.