The Harvard Medical School Guide To Taking Control Of Asthma

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

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.