Product Description

Take control of your asthma now wih this easy-to-follow personalized approach

Shortness of breath. Tightness in the chest. Wheezing and coughing. These distressing symptoms are a daily fact of life for many of the fifteen million Americans who suffer from asthma, including nearly six million children -- and asthma is on the rise. But even those with severe asthma can lead full, active lives with the help of the experts at Harvard Medical School and Partners Asthma Center. Here is a commonsense guide that includes:

• Cutting-edge therapies such as anti-IgE therapy and leukotriene-blocking drugs -- as well as complementary and alternative medicine treatments
• Practice sessions that help you create a personalized program to prepare for acute asthma attacks

Plus, special sections addressing issues faced by:

• Women -- how pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy may affect your asthma
• The elderly -- how to distinguish asthma from other respiratory conditions such as emphysema

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #255866 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-14
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Similar in scope to other excellent publications from the Harvard Medical School, this authoritative overview of asthma a disease that afflicts millions of Americans will be welcomed by patients and their families. With editorial assistance from Waring, these three leading physicians who practice at the Partners Asthma Center, have written a guide in layman's terms. The authors explain how asthma is diagnosed and how the various symptoms, such as shortness of breath, wheezing and tightness in the chest, manifest themselves in different individuals. A large portion of the book is devoted to a lengthy and highly useful discussion of the current therapies available, as well as the pros and cons of specific medications. Although the authors do not recommend alternative and complementary therapies, because they consider them to be largely unproven, they do single out emotional stress as an asthma trigger; other triggers, such as allergens and environmental pollutants, are also identified, along with suggestions for avoiding or alleviating them.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
The audiobook serves as an excellent introduction to asthma, both for patients and parents of patients. The guide recommends prophylactic steps, such as preparing a written plan for an attack and storing children's medications at their schools. The text never patronizes with simple phrases, but, rather, uses the correct terms for anatomy, disease states, and medications, while ensuring that they're explained in everyday terms. Barrett Whitener's slow pace and distinct diction make the information easy to absorb, including a couple of data tables that could have been challenging in audio. He articulates all the scientific terms correctly, and the work doubles as a valuable primer to pronunciation for newcomers to asthma. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Info
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Consumer text discusses cutting-edge therapies for asthma as well as complementary and alternative medicine treatments. Outlines a plan of action for prevention and treatment of adults and children with asthma. Softcover.

Customer Reviews

Basic Information
I had asthma as a child, and now my daughter has it. This book is a reasonable introductory text, but you can find the same information on the internet. It provides an overview of asthma, covers medications, and medication delivery. Sentences like "We want to emphasize that even for the most severe asthma, highly effective, safe, and convenient medications are available" (picked at random) are strewn throughout the book, and give some idea of the authors' bias. Unfortunately, my daughter has experienced significant side-effects from her asthma medications. This book did not address this issue. The lists of medication side-effects are about what you'd find on the box. It does not discuss the pros/cons of various dosages, interaction of medications, or alternatives. If you or your child has just gotten asthma, and you are looking for an introductory reference book, this is probably a reasonable choice. Again, most of this information is easily found on the internet. If you are looking for more detailed information, I found this book lacking.

Helpful General Information
My mother is newly diagnosed with asthma, at age 68. Getting this diagnosis been a confusing process that hasn't been very well explained by her doctor. This book is full of good, medically based general information. I would recommend it for someone who needs an introduction to the subject that is fairly detailed but easy to understand.

Very informative and helpful
The book has special sections, e.g. Women, Children, Adult-onset, older folks, etc. I contracted adult-onset asthma and being a diver, the disease cramped my lifestyle. This comprehensive book helped me understand the causes of the disease, treatment, advances in medicine, asthma action plan, etc. It helped me to have an intelligent and informed discussion with my pulmonologist.