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Background
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects approximately 300 thousand people worldwide, with numbers seemingly on the rise. The chronic disease is characterised by narrowing of airways (bronchoconstriction), mucus hypersecretion, episodic shortness of breath and chronic inflammation of the bronchial membranes. The chronic inflammation is associated with airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) that causes recurrent wheezing, breathlessness, tightness of chest and coughing particularly during the night, in the early morning or during vigorous exercise. Causes of asthma are commonly termed atopic, meaning they stem from childhood or adolescence and can be traced back to particular triggers such as pollen, cold ambient temperatures or certain foods.