Asthma for Dummies: Pocket

A great book, almost as good as the Allergies and Asthma for Dummies book. Required reading for the Respircare Analytical training course.

I was skeptical of the name. However, I leafed through it (and many other asthma books) in a brick and mortar store before I bought this book. And I am so grateful! It's easy to read, but doesn't shy away from the technical and biological concepts you should know. It has nice diagrams for those of us who need the visuals to understand somewhat complicated biology. I feel so much more informed about my disease after having read this book. I feel like I can talk with my doctors and know what questions to ask them, and understand their responses! I can honestly say that after reading this book, I was able to advocate for my own health enough that I feel I can breathe properly and happily now. There are medications and small lifestyle changes out there that can improve an asthmatic's quality of life immensely. But it is important first to understand the disease itself and then what each medication or technique may do to help. This book is a good start, and I highly recommend taking the step to improve your well-being.

Asthma is serious; 15 people die of asthma each day yet many people don't take their symptoms seriously. Asthma for Dummies is both serious and yet conversational. It's practical, genuine and doable. It's got something of value for anyone interested in predicting, preventing, and responding to symptoms proactively. Nancy Sander President Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics www.breatherville.org

This book was extremely helpful in answering my questions about a recurrence of asthma after being free of symptoms for many, many years. I learned that you never really outgrow asthma and a recurrence is not unusual. I thought the book focused too much on allergies and did not explain how humidity might effect asthma. My symptoms get worse on chilly nights after a day of rain so weather seems to be my asthma trigger. Also the book does not contain any information on asthma support groups and neglects to cover controversial theories about asthma. However, it does describe all the medications you might be prescribed and their possible side effects.