The Harvard Medical School Guide To Taking Control Of Asthma - Softcover

Cristiano, Lynda, M.D.; Fanta, Christopher, M.D.; Haver, Kenan, M.D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743224787 ISBN 13: 9780743224789

Publisher: Free Press, 2004

Synopsis

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

About this title

About the Author

Christopher H. Fanta, M.D., is director of Partners Asthma Center and one of its cofounders. He is a member of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

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.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0743224787
• ISBN 13: 9780743224789
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352