A "cotton test" has been proposed, in which moist cotton is held where a turbinate should be or in various locations in the nasal passages, to see if it provides relief and an airflow pattern that allows for natural breathing; while this has not been validated nor is it widely accepted, it may be useful to identify which people may benefit from surgery.
A "cotton test" has been suggested as a method to assess whether moist cotton placed in the nasal passages can alleviate symptoms and improve airflow, potentially aiding in identifying patients who might benefit from surgical intervention.