Breathalyzers, Breathomics And Exhalomics In The Digital Health Age

Most of us might take the breathing process for granted; after all it is an autonomous process that we only really start noticing when something about it is off. However, respiratory diseases are among the major causes of fatalities worldwide. The WHO estimates that by 2030, such conditions will be responsible for one in five deaths. As the signs of declining respiratory health or factors that influence it can be subtle, an array of digital health technologies and approaches have come to address such issues. Along with those innovations, new terminologies such as smart breathalyzers, breathomics and exhalome have entered the medical and consumer jargon. In this article, we will get better acquainted with those emerging terms and how the respiratory health landscape is shaping up in the digital health age. Breath of fresh air: getting acquainted with new respiratory terminologies Most of us, especially drivers, might be familiar with breathalyzers. These are the devices that have traditionally been used by police units to monitor drivers’ blood alcohol content (BAC). The user performs a breath test through a device, which then determines whether their BAC is within the legal limit. The basic principle behind the functioning of breathalyzers also serves as the backbone for collecting samples for performing health-related analyses other than BAC. This is what the field of breathomics focuses on. It studies volatile organic compounds found in exhaled breath, which c...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: TMF Health Sensors & Trackers Portable Medical Diagnostics breathalyzer breathomics exhalomics Source Type: blogs