Asthma For Dummies E-Book

William E. Berger

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Seitenzahl: 513

Beschreibung

The incidence of asthma is rising dramatically in the United States and across the globe. Asthma affects 17 million people in the U.S. and is the most common chronic childhood disease. If you or someone you love suffers from asthma, you know that there is no cure--however, with proper care, asthmatics can lead normal, active, and fulfilling lives. Now you can breathe easy with this plain-English guide, which clearly explains the prevention, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of the disease. Asthma For Dummies will help asthma sufferers and their loved ones get a strong handle on managing the disease. Dr. William Berger, one of the nation's foremost experts on allergies and asthma, gives you the tools you need to: * Understand the relationship between allergies and asthma * Identify your asthma triggers * Prepare for your first doctor's visit * Allergy-proof your home or office environment * Avoid asthma complications * Find outside support Featuring up-to-date coverage of childhood asthma, this easy-to-understand guide covers all the vital issues surrounding asthma, including handling food allergies, exercising when asthmatic, asthma during pregnancy, and all the latest medications. You'll find tips on avoiding allergens that cause respiratory symptoms, testing for allergies, and dealing with HMOs. This fact-packed guide also features: * A dedicated chapter to asthma in the elderly * The latest information on Claritin and Clarinex, two common allergy medications taken by those with asthma * The interrelationships between asthma and other respiratory complications of untreated allergy such as ear, sinus, tonsil, and adenoid disease * Extensive information on controller drugs and rescue medications * Future trends in asthma therapy Offering the latest on allergy shots and tips for traveling with asthma, Asthma for Dummies will relieve your anxiety about asthma, help you control your triggers, and manage the disease long-term.

Leseprobe

Asthma For Dummies

by William E. Berger, MD, MBA

Foreword by Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Asthma For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax [phone], or e-mail [email protected].

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission.All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The contents of this work are intended to further general scientific research, understanding, and discussion only and are not intended and should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting a specific method, diagnosis, or treatment by physicians for any particular patient. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. In view of ongoing research, equipment modifications, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to the use of medicines, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each medicine, equipment, or device for, among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. Readers should consult with a specialist where appropriate. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. No warranty may be created or extended by any promotional statements for this work. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom.

For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2004103499

ISBN: 978-0-7645-4233-6

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6

1B/RV/QS/QY/IN

When I was first diagnosed with asthma back in college, I could have used a book like this. I really didn’t know what asthma was all about or what I needed to do to manage it.

The truth is, I didn’t take my asthma very seriously. I didn’t want to think of myself — a serious athlete — as being sick. So I lived in denial. I took rescue medicine when my symptoms acted up, but mostly I tried to ignore it. I thought I could overcome it — that maybe it would go away on its own. Finally, after one particularly scary attack, it hit me: Instead of controlling my asthma, I was letting my asthma control me.

Now, I work with my doctor and manage my asthma daily. It’s made a big difference. My symptoms are much less frequent, and I can do the things I want to do without being limited by my asthma.

The more I talk to people with this disease, the more I realize that my story is a very common one. If symptoms and attacks are interfering with your life or if you limit your activities in order to avoid asthma symptoms, keep in mind that things don’t have to be this way.

That’s why this book is so useful. It tells you everything you need to know about how to keep your asthma under control, so you don’t have to go through what I went through.

Read it carefully and work with your doctor. Find out what you can do to help prevent symptoms from happening in the first place, and stick with it. Set your sights high, and never settle for less than your personal best.

It’s not always easy, but you can do it. Take it from me: With the proper training and attitude, asthma doesn’t have to slow you down.

— Jackie Joyner-Kersee

About the Author

William E. Berger, MD, MBA, is one of the nation’s foremost experts on allergies and asthma. As a board-certified physician in two separate specialties (pediatrics and allergy and immunology), Dr. Berger has had extensive clinical experience in diagnosing and treating patients with allergies and asthma for more than 25 years. He holds dual appointments at the University of California, Irvine, as clinical professor in the College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, and as adjunct professor of Health Care Management in the Graduate School of Management. In addition, he has also served as principal investigator in numerous clinical research projects.

Dr. Berger is a former member of the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters that writes the national treatment guidelines for asthma and allergies. He has served as president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and both the Orange County and California Societies of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. In recognition of his continued achievement in the specialty of treating allergic diseases, Dr. Berger was awarded the title Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

A former medical correspondent for the Orange County Newschannel, the Medical News Network, and ABC’s Mike and Maty Show, Dr. Berger is also the author of many academic papers and lay press articles in the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology. He is a recognized international speaker in the field of allergy and asthma and is frequently invited to lecture at medical conferences and symposia held throughout the world. In addition, Dr. Berger has been the subject of medical reports on allergies and asthma that have appeared on CBS Evening News, ABC World News Tonight, Lifetime Medical Television, NBC Dateline, and Cable News Network (CNN). He has also been featured in medical articles published in Time, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and The Orange County Register.

Dr. Berger founded the Allergy and Asthma Associates of Southern California Medical Group in 1981 in Mission Viejo, California, where he currently practices both adult and pediatric allergy medicine. In 1995, Dr. Berger established the Southern California Research Center, focusing on respiratory and allergy clinical research studies.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife Charlette, my son Michael, and my daughter Johanna, for their loving encouragement and their inspiring confidence that I would actually get the writing done on time.

Author’s Acknowledgments

I especially want to thank acquisitions editor Natasha Graf, whose vision and foresight actually made this book possible. My project editor, Allyson Grove, kept me on track throughout the writing process and ensured that this book follows in the great line of the For Dummies tradition. I also greatly appreciate the artistry of Kathryn Born, our medical illustrator, whose drawings enhance the text, and the contributions of Chad Sievers, the copyeditor of this book.

I am also very grateful to the numerous other people who have made this book possible, most of all my indefatigable senior research editor, Carl Byron, who probably won’t miss my midnight telephone calls to review the manuscript. Thanks also to Skye Herzog, agent extraordinaire, part-time psychologist, nurturer, and motivational expert. I am extremely grateful to Francene Lifson, executive director of the Southern California Chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, whose assistance was invaluable during the initial stages of this project.

A very special thanks to my friend, Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the world’s greatest female athlete, for writing the foreword to this book and for her unceasing efforts in raising awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and effective treatment of asthma. Jackie has inspired asthmatics throughout the world by proving that having asthma shouldn’t prevent you from achieving your goals — no matter what they are.

I also want to express my deep-felt appreciation to Phil Lieberman, MD, who acted as technical editor for this book and who provided invaluable insights from his many years of experience in the field of allergy and immunology. Richard Nicklas, MD, and Bob Lanier, MD, also deserve my special thanks for taking time out from their busy schedules to review the manuscript and for providing excellent comments and suggestions.

Also, thanks to the following individuals who have been great friends, outstanding educators, and constant sources of inspiration due to their supreme dedication to providing excellent patient care: Brian Levine, MD; Eric Schenkel, MD; Joel Cristol, MD; Stanley Galant, MD; Sherwin Gillman, MD; Charles Siegel, MD; Bruce Prenner, MD; Joseph Bellanti, MD; Ira Finegold, MD; Don Mitchell, MD; John Zucker, MD; Tom Plaut, MD; and Mark Wohlgemuth, MD.

Thanks to my fellow members of the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, including Stanley Fineman, MD; Richard Nicklas, MD; I. Leonard Bernstein, MD; Joann Blessing-Moore, MD; Mark S. Dykewicz, MD; Rufus Lee, MD; James Li, MD, PhD; Jay Portnoy, MD; Diane Schuller, MD; and Sheldon Spector, MD, all of whose extraordinary commitment and hard work in developing and maintaining the highest quality parameters for the care of our patients inspired me to write this book.

I greatly appreciate the information provided by allergy historians Sheldon Cohen, MD, and Guy Settipane, MD, whose research helped in developing Chapter 22.

As always, I place special value on the support and understanding of my clinical and research staff, my associates in practice, Mark Sugar, MD, Janis Davidson, RN, CPNP, and especially Ellen Schonfeld, RN, CPNP, who provided invaluable assistance in reviewing the manuscript and researching the illustrations for this book.

I am especially grateful to Georgia Beams and Jennifer Feaser, RN, who helped me start Allergy and Asthma Associates of Southern California in Mission Viejo more than 25 years ago (we were all 12 years old at the time!) and who have always provided me with their generous support and advice in whatever professional goals and endeavors I have pursued (including this book).

Nancy Sander, patient advocate and spokesperson and founder and president of Allergy and Asthma Network•Mothers of Asthmatics, also deserves my gratitude for her friendship, insights, and especially for her dedication to raising awareness about asthma and allergies.

Most of all, I would like to thank all of my patients for allowing me the privilege of caring for them and their children. Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal from them and am a better person and physician for the experience. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: “To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived: That is to have succeeded!”

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Allyson Grove

(Previous Edition: Christine Meloy Beck)

Acquisitions Editor: Natasha Graf

Copy Editor: Chad R. Sievers

(Previous Edition: Billie A. Williams)

Assistant Editor: Holly Gastineau-Grimes

Technical Editor: Phillip Lieberman, MD

Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

Editorial Assistant: Elizabeth Rea

Cover Photos: © Spencer Rowell/Getty Images/Taxi

Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com

Production

Project Coordinator: Courtney MacIntyre

Layout and Graphics: Andrea Dahl, Stephanie D. Jumper, Michael Kruzil, Kristin McMullan, Jacque Schneider

Special Art: Kathryn Born

Proofreader: TECHBOOKS Production Services

Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services

Special Help Georgette Beatty

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Brice Gosnell, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Asthma Basics

Chapter 1: Knowing What’s Ailing You

Understanding the Relationship between Asthma and Allergies

Triggering Asthma and Allergic Reactions

Previewing Asthma and Related Conditions

Managing Asthma Effectively

Chapter 2: The Basics of Treating and Managing Your Asthma

Understanding Who Gets Asthma and Why

Uncovering the Many Facets of Asthma

Asthma and Your Airways

Diagnosing Asthma

Managing Your Asthma: Essential Steps

Chapter 3: Dealing with Doctor Visits

Preparing for Your First Visit

Knowing What Tests Your Doctor May Perform

Following Up: Second and Subsequent Visits

Paying for Your Care

Working Well with Your Doctor

Chapter 4: Managing Asthma Long-Term

Seeing What a Long-Term Management Plan Includes

Focusing on the Four Levels of Asthma Severity

Using the Stepwise Approach

Assessing Your Lungs

Taking Stock of Your Condition

Understanding Self-Management

Improving Your Quality of Life

Expecting the Best

Part II : Understanding Asthma Triggers

Chapter 5: Knowing Your Asthma Triggers

Recognizing What Triggers Your Asthma

Controlling Inhalant Allergens

Clearing the Air at Home

Working Out Workplace Exposures

Avoiding Drug and Food Triggers

Other Medical Conditions and Asthma

Chapter 6: Understanding Asthma and the Role of Allergies

Protecting Your Health: How Your Immune System Works

Classifying Immune System Components and Disorders

Classifying Abnormal Immune Responses

Developing an Immediate Hypersensitivity

Reaping the Benefits of Immunology

Chapter 7: Hay Fever and Asthma: The United Airway

Catching Up with Your Runny Nose

Classifying Types of Hay Fever

What Makes Noses Run?

Getting a Medical Evaluation

Managing Rhinitis

Chapter 8: Food Allergies and Asthma

Types of Adverse Food Reactions

Allergic Food Hypersensitivities

Nonallergic (Non-IgE) Food Hypersensitivities

Understanding the Differences between Food Allergy and Food Intolerance

Diagnosing Adverse Food Reactions

Avoiding Adverse Food Reactions

Chapter 9: Asthma and Exercise

Understanding EIA

Keeping Fit Despite EIA

Athletes and EIA

Part III : Treating Your Asthma

Chapter 10: Avoiding Allergens That Cause Respiratory Symptoms

Pollens

Molds

House Dust

Avoidance and Allergy-Proofing

The Great Indoors

Allergy-Proofing Begins at Home

Chapter 11: Getting Allergy Tested and Allergy Shots

Diagnosing with Skin Tests

Reviewing Immunotherapy

Looking at Future Forms of Immunotherapy

Chapter 12: Relieving Your Nasal Allergies

Getting Familiar with Pharmacology

Blocking Your Histamines: Antihistamines

Decongesting Your Nose

Two for the Nose: Combination Products

Using Nasal Corticosteroids

Cromolyn Sodium

Reducing Mucus with Anticholinergic Sprays

Treating Rhinitis with Leukotriene Modifiers

Keeping an Eye out for Allergic Conjunctivitis

Chapter 13: Treating Your Ear, Nose, and Throat Symptoms

Complicating Your Allergies and Asthma: Sinusitis

Otitis Media

Part IV : Controlling Asthma with Medications

Chapter 14: Knowing Asthma Medications

Taking Your Medicine: Why It’s Essential

Getting the Long and Short of Asthma Medications

Delivering Your Dose: Inhalers and Nebulizers

Chapter 15: Looking at Asthma Controller Drugs

Controlling Airway Inflammation with Corticosteroids

Preventing Respiratory Symptoms with Mast Cell Stabilizers

Dilating Your Airways with Long-Acting Bronchodilators

Relieving Nighttime Asthma with Theophylline

Reducing Respiratory Symptoms with Leukotriene Modifiers

Introducing the Newest Therapy on the Block: IgE Blocker

Chapter 16: Treating Asthma Episodes

Relieving Symptoms with Short-Acting Bronchodilators

Reversing Airflow Obstruction with Anticholinergics

Looking at Short-Term, Rescue Use of Oral Corticosteroids

Chapter 17: Future Trends in Asthma Therapy

Getting Better All the Time

Under Your Tongue: Swallow Immunotherapy

Blocking IgE: A Biotech Breakthrough

Exploring the Frontiers of Asthma Therapy

Keeping Research Alive: Clinical Trials and You

Part V : Special Asthma Conditions

Chapter 18: Asthma during Childhood

Understanding Your Child’s Asthma

Identifying Childhood-Onset Asthma

All That Wheezes Isn’t Asthma

Focusing on Special Issues Concerning Childhood Asthma

Handling Asthma at School and Daycare

Chapter 19: Pregnancy and Asthma

Identifying Special Issues with Asthma during Pregnancy

Breathing for Two

Chapter 20: Asthma and the Elderly

Recognizing Asthma Later in Life

Taking Asthma Medications When Older

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Traveling with Asthma

Planning a Safe, Healthy Trip

Adjusting Treatment for Travel

Taking Medications and Other Essentials

Getting Medications and Medical Help Abroad

Flying with Allergens and Irritants

Considering Allergy Shots and Travel

Reducing Trigger Exposures in Hotels and Motels

Avoiding Food Allergies during Your Trip

Finding Help in Case of Emergencies

Traveling with Your Asthmatic Child

Chapter 22: Ten Famous Folks with Asthma

Augustus Caesar

Peter the Great

Ludwig van Beethoven

Charles Dickens

Teddy Roosevelt

John F. Kennedy

Leonard Bernstein

Liza Minnelli

Kenny G

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Appendix: Asthma Resources

Organizations

Asthma and Allergy Environmental-Control Products

Other Writings and Media about Asthma and Allergies

Introduction

“I feel like I’m breathing through a straw.” “Oh, my aching sinuses.” “I can’t stop coughing.” “My child keeps wheezing.” If you’ve ever uttered words like these, you’re not alone. Statements similar to these are some of the most frequent medical complaints that people in the United States and around the world report, and their complaints often describe asthma symptoms.

Asthma affects 17 million people in the United States and is the most common chronic childhood disease. Asthma also leads to more than 2 million emergency room visits and more than 9 million doctors’ appointments per year. In fact, costs associated with asthma, including treatment, medications, and lost productivity, exceed $11 billion each year. The incidence of asthma is rising dramatically in the United States and across the globe, particularly in highly developed parts of the world, including Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In fact, many experts now consider asthma a global epidemic.

But enough about facts and figures. I want to talk about you: How are you feeling? Do you, or someone you know, think that having asthma means that feeling unwell is normal and that your condition can never improve? Unfortunately, many people answer yes to this question. However, as I explain throughout this book, the plain, simple, and accurate medical truth is this: Although no cure exists for asthma, when you receive effective, appropriate care from your doctor, combined with your motivated participation as a patient, you can lead a normal, active, and fulfilling life.

About This Book

I wrote this book to give you sound, up-to-date, practical advice, based on my 25-plus years of experience with numerous patients, about dealing with your asthma effectively and appropriately. For that reason, I structure this book so that you can jump to sections that most directly apply to your medical condition. You don’t need to read this book from cover to cover, although I won’t object if you do. (Be careful, though, because when you start reading, you may have a really hard time putting it down!)

This book can also serve as a reference and source for information about the many facets of diagnosing, treating, and managing asthma. Although you may pick up this book for one aspect of asthma, you may realize later that other topics also apply to you or a loved one.

Don’t worry about remembering where related subjects are in this book. I provide ample cross-references in every chapter that remind you where to look for the information you may need in other chapters or within other sections of the chapter that you’re reading.

I intend the information in this book to empower you as a person with asthma, thus helping you to

Set goals for your treatment

Ensure that you receive the most appropriate and effective medical care for your respiratory condition

Do your part as a patient by adhering to the treatment plan that you and your physician develop

Foolish Assumptions

I don’t think I’m being too foolish, but I assume that you want substantive, scientifically accurate, relevant information about asthma, presented in everyday language, without a lot of medical mumbo-jumbo. In this book, you find straightforward explanations when I present important scientific aspects of asthma and when I use key medical terms. (You also get a chance to work on your Latin and Greek.)

If you’ve chosen to read my book, I know you’re no dummy, so I’m willing to go out on a limb and make some further assumptions about you, dear reader:

You or someone you care about suffers from asthma.

You want to educate yourself about asthma as part of improving your medical condition (in consultation with your doctor, of course).

You want to feel better.

You really like doctors named Bill.

How This Book Is Organized

I structure this book in six parts to help you find the information you need as easily as possible.

Part I: Asthma Basics

This part helps you determine what may affect you, explaining how asthma presents itself, the underlying immune system mechanisms involved in asthma, how you can — as well as why you should — get a proper diag- nosis of your condition, and how to develop a long-term management plan.

Part II: Understanding Asthma Triggers

In this part, you find an extensive discussion concerning the underlying inflammatory mechanism that characterizes asthma, what you need to know about how your doctor diagnoses your condition, and the important connections and coexistence between asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever). I also cover how to cope with food allergies and asthma, and deal with exercise-induced asthma (EIA).

Part III: Treating Your Asthma

In Part III, I cover how to avoid allergens that cause allergic rhinitis, the many effects allergies can have on your body, how those effects occur, the types of complications frequently associated with allergic diseases, and what you and your doctor can do to effectively treat your allergic condition.

You also discover appropriate medications that you can take to control and prevent your symptoms. Likewise, I explain why immunotherapy (allergy shots) may successfully manage your allergic rhinitis long-term and treat your asthma.

Part IV: Controlling Asthma with Medications

In this part, I detail the ways that medications are successfully used to manage asthma. Chapter 14 provides an overview of asthma treatment. I devote Chapters 15 and 16 to the controller (long-term) and rescue (short-relief) drugs that your doctor may prescribe for you. Chapter 17 presents my insights on upcoming drugs and therapies that may offer even more effective ways of treating asthma.

Part V: Special Asthma Conditions

In Part V, I discuss taking care of a child with asthma, continuing your asthma treatment during pregnancy, and managing asthma in the elderly.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

All For Dummies books contain one of these parts. The chapters in this part offer information that simply fits better in this more informal format, such as:

What you need to take with you — and practical information and steps to remember — when traveling with asthma

Examples of significant people, from ancient times to today, who have excelled in spite of their asthma

Appendix

The appendix at the back of the book is a compendium of valuable asthma and allergy resources, information on numerous important asthma and allergy organizations, and suppliers and manufacturers of environmental-control products that can greatly assist you in managing your condition. I also include listings of other important books and information sources about asthma and allergies, and, of course, a survey of quality asthma Web sites.

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout the margins of the book, you may notice the following icons. They’re intended to catch your attention and alert you to the type of information I present in particular paragraphs. Here’s what they mean:

The Berger Bit icon represents me expressing my opinion.

A Warning icon advises you about potential problems, such as symptoms you shouldn’t ignore or treatments that you may not want to undergo.

Myths and misconceptions abound about asthma. The Myth Buster icon indicates that I expose and correct mistaken beliefs that many people hold about asthma.

The Remember icon indicates things you shouldn’t forget, because you may find the information useful in the future. (Now, where did I put my car keys?)

The See Your Doctor icon alerts you to matters that you should discuss with your physician.

To give you as complete a picture as possible, I occasionally get into more complex details of medical science. The Technical Stuff icon lets you know that’s what I’m doing so that you can delve into the topic further — or skip it. You don’t have to read these paragraphs to understand the subject at hand. (However, reading the information with these icons may give you a better handle on managing your medical condition, as well as provide some great material for impressing your friends at your next party.)

You can find plenty of helpful information and advice in paragraphs marked with the Tip icon.

Where to Go from Here

Although you can read this book from cover to cover if you want, I suggest turning to the table of contents (okay, check out Rich Tennant’s cartoons first) and finding the sections that apply to your immediate concern. Then begin reading your way to better management of your asthma.

Part I

Asthma Basics

In this part . . .

You’re experiencing respiratory symptoms that indicate you may have asthma, but you’re not sure what your problem is. How do you figure out whether your ailment is asthma? Or if you’re diagnosed with this medical condition, what does that mean in terms of your overall health? This part helps you determine what may be affecting you by explaining the signs and symptoms of asthma, the underlying mechanisms involved in this ailment, and how you can — as well as why you should — get a proper diagnosis of your condition.

In this part, you also find out what the vital elements of a successful asthma management plan are and how doctors use severity levels to manage your ailment. I also describe in detail the types of lung-function measurements that are crucial for assessing your asthma’s severity, and how you can check your lung functions yourself at home with peak-flow monitoring. Additionally, this part discusses using a symptom record, monitoring your medication use, and evaluating your inhaler technique.

Chapter 1

Knowing What’s Ailing You

In This Chapter

Connecting asthma and allergies

Making sense of asthma signs and symptoms

Defining the spectrum of asthma

Determining how to properly manage asthma

A ccording to many experts, asthma is now a global epidemic, and its prevalence and severity continue to grow in many parts of the world, primarily in highly developed countries, including the United States, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. More than 17 million people in the United States have some form of asthma. That equals three times the number of asthma cases diagnosed in 1960, despite major medical breakthroughs during the last 40 years in diagnosing and treating airway obstruction — the basis of this disease.