Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the lower airways due to hypersensitivity of the airway walls. It produces symptoms that may closely resemble many other respiratory, and even cardiovascular, conditions. Therefore a positive diagnosis for asthma needs to first be ascertained before treatment can be undertaken. Lifestyle changes, while helpful, need to be integrated with medical treatment for the long term management of asthma. The focus of management is largely on preventing acute asthmatic attacks and allowing a patient to continue with life with as little impedance as possible.

Air enters the throat through the mouth or nose and is then directed through the larynx (voice box) into the trachea (windpipe), which then branches into the two main bronchi which carries air to either lung.  Each of the main bronchus divides into smaller tubes known as bronchioles until it delivers air into the cluster or air sacs in the lungs. The bronchi and bronchioles are significantly narrower than the upper parts of the airway and any obstruction to the airflow can significantly affect breathing.

Asthma has become a very common and chronic diseases that leave significant impact on the victims i.e. it causes physical and social burden. Yearly 497,000 people suffering from asthma are hospitalized in different hospitals of U.S.A, it is estimated that almost 10 million people miss their work days and 13 million children miss their school days due to this ailment. People keep on trying to find out what is the root cause of asthma, many people and organizations has come to the conclusion that home can be the major reason,  means indoor asthma triggers contribute to this disease.

There are lots of asthma triggers which come under the category of allergens and irritants which are usually found in the stuff and floors of home like carpets, rugs, curtains etc. Most common triggers include dust mites, mold, pet dander, rodents, pollen, tobacco smoke, sharp smells of perfumes etc. So it is must to make house an asthma healthy zone to avoid its symptoms. Merck launched a “Build Smart, Breathe Easier” campaign to educate people about the magnitude of “asthma-healthy home”.

Patients of chronic asthma with fungal allergy may benefit significantly from oral antifungal drug, itraconazole treatment, new research shows.

The study was conducted on four different places in the UK involved such patients whom corticosteroids requirements were quite high and having sensitivity to at least one of common fungi.

In the beginning 18 patients were randomly administered with itraconazole 200 mg twice in a day and 23 were assigned to placebo. The changes were brought in the parameter of Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) score, which is attained on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 exhibits an excellent quality of life in asthmatic patients.