The Harvard Medical School Guide to Taking Control of Asthma

My mother is newly diagnosed with asthma, at age 68. Getting this diagnosis been a confusing process that hasn't been very well explained by her doctor. This book is full of good, medically based general information. I would recommend it for someone who needs an introduction to the subject that is fairly detailed but easy to understand.

The book has special sections, e.g. Women, Children, Adult-onset, older folks, etc. I contracted adult-onset asthma and being a diver, the disease cramped my lifestyle. This comprehensive book helped me understand the causes of the disease, treatment, advances in medicine, asthma action plan, etc. It helped me to have an intelligent and informed discussion with my pulmonologist.

I have suffered asthma for close to 2 years now, before I'vehad allergy for a long time. The book explains very clearly whatasthma is and gives practical information on medication, answerslots of questions that I didn't even know about. It also hasspecific section for women regarding what medicine should beused during pregnancy.

As a parent of a child just diagnosed with asthma, I was looking for a good reference for understanding what asthma is and how it is treated and managed. When I ordered this book, I was expecting a dry textbook type book long on theory and short on application. What I got was a clear well written and layed out book. It is easy to read and understand. It has up to date information on the current drugs and offers practical advice on how to manage asthma for the long haul. It has instuctions and advice on how to properly use the various medicines. It give me the knowledge to comfortably discuss asthma with my doctor and laid the foundation for establishing a long term treatment plan. Overall this is an excellent book on asthma.