Asthma For Dummies (eBook)

William E. Berger, MD, MBA, has over 40 years of clinical experience diagnosing and treating patients with allergies and asthma. He founded the Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California, where he practiced both adult and pediatric allergy and immunology. Tonya A. Winders, MBA, is the president of the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform and former CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network. She has 15 years' experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Asthma 5

Chapter 1: Understanding Asthma Basics 7

Chapter 2: Building Your Healthcare Team 33

Chapter 3: Making the Most of Your Doctor Visits 41

Chapter 4: Living Well with Asthma 51

Chapter 5: Managing Asthma Long Term 67

Part 2: Knowing What Can Trigger Asthma 83

Chapter 6: Knowing Your Asthma Triggers 85

Chapter 7: The Role of Inhalant Allergies 103

Chapter 8: The Role of Food Allergies 127

Chapter 9: The Roles of Exercise and Emotions 147

Chapter 10: The Role of Other Medical Conditions 155

Part 3: Controlling Your Asthma 193

Chapter 11: Getting Allergy Tested and Allergy Shots 195

Chapter 12: Understanding Asthma Medications 209

Chapter 13: Looking at Asthma Controller Drugs 229

Chapter 14: Treating Asthma Episodes 249

Part 4: Special Asthma Conditions 261

Chapter 15: Asthma and Children and Teens 263

Chapter 16: Pregnancy and Asthma 281

Chapter 17: Asthma and Older Adults 291

Chapter 18: Looking At Other Asthma Concerns 295

Part 5: Finding Support and Speaking Up 303

Chapter 19: Patient Advocacy for Yourself and Others 305

Chapter 20: Turning to Trusted Resources 311

Part 6: The Part of Tens 319

Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Traveling with Asthma 321

Chapter 22: Ten Myths About Asthma and Allergies 329

Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Avoid the September Asthma Peak 335

Index 341