Asthma: The at Your Fingertips Guide 4th Edition

Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 14
Foreword by Professor Martyn R. Partridge MD, FRCP......Page 16
What this book is about and how to use it......Page 18
How to beat your asthma......Page 21
How to use this book......Page 22
1 What is asthma and how does it affect people?......Page 24
Asthma explained......Page 25
Types of asthma......Page 29
About asthma......Page 32
Inheritance......Page 35
2 Symptoms and triggers of asthma......Page 40
Symptoms......Page 41
Triggers......Page 45
All in the mind?......Page 57
Related conditions......Page 59
3 How is asthma diagnosed?......Page 62
Clues to diagnosis......Page 64
Diagnosis of asthma – tests and investigations......Page 67
Blowing tests: peak expiratory flow and spirometry......Page 68
Is it really asthma, and is there more than one type?......Page 75
What other diseases can be incorrectly diagnosed instead of asthma?......Page 78
4 Treatments for asthma......Page 85
Allergen avoidance......Page 86
Complementary therapies......Page 92
Medicines......Page 96
General......Page 98
Devices......Page 111
Spacer devices......Page 121
Side effects......Page 128
New on the market......Page 142
5 Beating asthma......Page 144
Seeing the doctor, the asthma nurse – and asthma clinics......Page 148
Recognizing uncontrolled asthma – preventing attacks......Page 157
Peak expiratory flow monitoring......Page 162
Written action plans for asthma......Page 174
Holiday plans......Page 178
Altering and changing treatment......Page 179
6 Living with asthma......Page 187
Everyday life......Page 189
Smoking......Page 198
Sex......Page 202
Periods......Page 203
Pregnancy......Page 205
Menopause......Page 208
Work......Page 210
Holidays......Page 215
Sport......Page 221
Pollution and weather......Page 226
Food and drink......Page 229
Asthma and the National Health Service......Page 233
The long-term outlook......Page 236
7 Children and asthma......Page 241
How and when does asthma start?......Page 243
Infants......Page 248
Childhood......Page 251
At school......Page 257
Growing out of it?......Page 261
Adolescents and young adults......Page 263
8 Emergencies......Page 266
Symptoms and warnings......Page 268
Action to take......Page 272
9 Self-help for asthma......Page 290
Asthma charities......Page 291
Information about asthma......Page 293
Glossary......Page 299
Appendix Useful addresses, information and websites......Page 312
Index......Page 320