Featuring:

ISBN 0-7373-0016-7

$17.00 US/ $24.00 Canada
224 pages1998

Lowell House/NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group

The Asthma Sourcebook, 2nd Edition

by Francis V. Adams, M.D.

Breathe a little easier with top-rate asthma resource!

If you or a loved one suffers with asthma, The Asthma Sourcebook, 2nd Edition, is a "must read"!

Author Francis V. Adams, M.D., an award-wining pulmonary specialist in the asthma field and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at New York University and Attending Physician at Bellevue Hospital in New York, does an excellent job in helping educate patients on asthma.

Whether you need to understand the basics of asthma, or you would like a way to efficiently prevent asthma attacks, you'll make excellent use of this handy reference.

Well organized, this 224 page softcover book includes easy-to-understand content yet goes into sufficient detail necessary for patients, families and health-care practionaries to understand asthma.

Although asthma is considered a common disease, I didn't realize that in the United States, for example, the asthma rate increased 61 percent (between 1982 and 1994). As an asthmatic who is aware of the problems of air pollution levels, I found Dr. Adams' hands-on insight into the disease (which he refers to as a "health care crisis") inspiring and thought-provoking.

You'll find thirteen chapters, 22 figures and 10 tables, a bibliography and a very comprehensive (completely revised and updated) appendix which includes resources such as phone contacts, magazines, newsletters, audiovisual aids, booklets and pamphlets, books, school materials, national societies, referral centers, allergy and asthma supplies and Internet resources.

Chapter 1 helps patients understand the physiology of asthma, including the causes (triggers) and a nice explanation of extrinsic and instrinsic asthma. Most importantly, I feel, is Dr. Adam's discussion of asthma with and without wheezing.

You'll find a more clinical chapter involving laboratory evaluation of asthma in Chapter 2 with a nice overview of the importance of blood tests, pulmonary function testing, and allergy evalution.

Probably the most important chapter of the book is Chapter 3, which details the asthmatic attack,including how to recognize symptoms and signs and how to use the all-important tool, the peak flow meter, for diagnosis.

Another valuable section in the book, Chapter 4, deals with asthma medications. Dr. Adams has compiled an outstanding overview discussing the different asthma medications in detail from bronchodilator drugs and beta-agonists to proper usage of MDIs and spacers. You'll also find information on anti-inflammatory drugs, inhaled corticosteroids and the safety of inhaled steroid sprays.

Chapter 5 includes strategies for medication treatment, whether for mild, moderate or severe adult asthma or childhood asthma.

You'll learn how to participate in managing your asthma in Chapter 6, including how to reduce allergens at home and work (and those nasty dust mites!) and how to reduce indoor pollution. A serious discussion of how to avoid severe or fatal asthma attacks is a reality check for any asthmatic who routinely withholds medication, under-medicates or denies they have asthma.

Asthma and Pregnancy are covered in Chapter 7, with general guidelines on preferred medications to be used during pregnancy for asthmatics.

In Chapter 8, Dr. Adams discusses treating occupational asthma and what to look for if you suspect you have occupational asthma.

Exercise-induced asthma and exercise and asthma is treated in Chapter 9 of the book. You can learn what type of exercises are safe and how to achieve the goal of an active lifestyle by reading this chapter.

Chapter 10 covers asthma and related illnesses, including nasal and sinus disease; gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), and other illnesses.

There's more! Special Considerations such as asthma and surgery, aspirin hypersensitivity, nocturnal asthma, beta-blockers and asthma, antidepressants and B-agonists and asthma, sedatives and asthma, PMS asthma, menopause and asthma, sex and asthma, oxygen use and asthma and asthma and work disability are all included in the all-important Chapter 11.

Dr. Adams also talks about alternative treatment methods in Chapter 12, while Chapter 13 covers possible exciting new treatments of the future including a vaccine for asthma, new medications, and devices.

By reading this book, you can help educate yourself or your loved ones on "the silent epidemic" of the inner city, asthma. You can also use the Internet as a health information resource by reviewing the URLs that Dr. Adams has included in this book.

Most importantly, this book helps educate patients and makes it easier for asthma sufferers to become active participants (with their physicians) by taking a pro-active role in the treatment of this chronic disease.