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Thrive at Any Weight: Eating to Nourish Body, Soul, and Self-Esteem
by Nancy Ellis-OrdwayA psychotherapist of 30 years, Nancy Ellis-Ordway explains how she helps people get off the weight loss roller coaster, make peace with food and their bodies, and improve their health to find happiness and a better quality of life.Widespread publicity about "the war on obesity" has led to pervasive anxiety, distress, and shame about eating, says psychotherapist Nancy Ellis-Ordway. Many people feel at war with their bodies rather than at home, in large part because of weight stigma and the unrelenting pursuit of thinness in America. This book offers a detailed approach for change, with a particular focus on "the message we give ourselves" when we eat, exercise, and interact with other people. This process incorporates operating from an internal locus of control as a way to improve self-esteem. Elllis-Ordway, in contrast to the "diet mentality" that is full of restrictions, first has clients focus on building self-esteem and growing a desire for self-care. She teaches clients to develop an ability to "listen to their own bodies" for guidance to eat for physical and mental health. The better we listen to and fulfill our body's needs, she explains, the better our self-esteem and health becomes, and the more we believe we are "worth it" and are able to meet our objectives.
Today's Health Care Issues: Democrats and Republicans (Across the Aisle)
by Robert B. Hackey Todd M. OlszewskiThis book provides a comprehensive introduction to significant U.S. health policy controversies, including Democratic and Republican responses to the coronavirus pandemic. It explores partisan divisions, major challenges, and policy preferences of key Democratic and Republican stakeholders.This volume provides readers with a broad overview of a variety of issues in contemporary health policy that span health care reform, health insurance, pharmaceuticals, public health, health care for underserved populations, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The book explores the politics of each issue, drawing upon historical evidence, legislative research, public opinion polls, and the views of key decision makers from both Democratic and Republican perspectives. This coverage provides readers with a clear sense of how policymakers from each party think about the issues involved.This resource devotes special attention to the COVID-19 public health crisis, providing authoritative coverage of the actions, rhetoric, and policy choices of President Trump and his administration, governors across the nation, and leaders of Congress from both parties. This chapter, like all others in the book, is written so that it is accessible to readers from a variety of audience levels, including students and general readers.
Transgender Health and Medicine: History, Practice, Research, and the Future (Essentials of Psychology and Health)
by Dana Jennett Ph.D.This text starts with the history of transgender science and provides current, evidence-based information on theories and treatment procedures, concluding with projections of future scientific developments.A transgender person is one whose congruent gender behavior (e.g., masculine, feminine, genderqueer) does not match the culturally assigned gender category based on their sex at birth. For example, a transgender person may behave and present as a woman despite being born with male genitalia.This book provides background on transgender history, needs, assessment, and procedures; side effects of procedures; and outcomes that all providers need to understand to treat transgender patients and relate to their particular expectations.The current etiquette basis for establishing an effective provider-patient relationship is highlighted. Pathological terms are no longer acceptable and new non-pathological terms are rapidly replacing them, because being transgender is now recognized as a natural part of diversity rather than a disease or disorder. Also included here are new theories of causation and treatment approaches for providers.The book additionally outlines current and earlier schools of thought and provides an integrated theory of transgender causation that includes genetic, epigenetic, cultural, and early learning/emergence factors and highlights research needs and expected future research topics.
Transgender Health Issues (Health and Medical Issues Today)
by Sarah BoslaughTransgender individuals face unique challenges when it comes to their physical, psychological, and social health and well-being. This accessible reference investigates these concerns in depth, offering readers insights into topics such as discrimination and access to health care.Although transgender individuals have always existed, their fight for acceptance and equal rights is just beginning. Within this larger context, one area of emerging concern is their health—physical, psychological, and social. From legislation determining public restroom access to insurance coverage of hormone therapy for transitioning individuals to harassment and discrimination, transgender people face a number of challenges that can negatively affect their well-being.A part of Greenwood's Health and Medical Issues Today series, Part I of this book explores definitions of sex and gender, the history of transgender awareness and activism, physical and psychological health concerns specific to transgender individuals, and how identifying as transgender can have different effects on individuals' health at different stages in their life. Part II examines issues and controversies related to the health and well-being of transgender individuals. Part III provides a variety of useful materials, including case studies, a timeline of critical events, a glossary, and a directory of resources.
Unassisted Childbirth
by Laura Kaplan ShanleyThis book reveals how giving birth is an inherently safe, relatively painless process that is best performed without the assistance of doctors or midwives, and how confidence and a positive attitude reduces fear—and therefore the pain—of labor.According to Laura Kaplan Shanley, a renowned leader in the natural-birth movement, human birth is inherently safe and relatively painless—provided we refrain from physical or psychological interference. The problems often associated with birth can be traced to three main factors: poverty, unnecessary medical intervention, and fear. When these causes are eliminated, most women can give birth either alone or with the help of a partner, friends, or family.This second edition of Unassisted Childbirth leads with a history of childbirth and then describes how most deliveries occur today, detailing why these processes don't serve mothers or babies. The information in this unique book gives women yet another legitimate choice in childbirth that doesn't rely on doctors and technology, and allows parents, birth professionals, and general readers to reexamine their most basic ideas about birth and learn to think in new ways.
Understanding and Treating Chronic Fatigue: A Practical Guide for Patients, Families, and Practitioners
by Joel L. YoungSome doctors still think Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a "fake" diagnosis. In this book, Joel Young, MD, presents the research, experience, and treatments that prove otherwise.Millions of Americans experience chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a continuous exhaustion and a feeling comparable to that of having just run a marathon when all they have done is a daily living task, such as taking a shower or getting dressed.Doctors don't have tests for CFS, and some think it's a faux or psychological disorder. Joel Young, MD, in this heavily researched book, explains why it is a true physical illness and how it may be treated. He details how he successfully treats the symptoms, which can include severe fatigue, "brain fog," chronic pain, and sleep problems. Unlike doctors who recommend exercise, supplements, or opioid medications, Young integrates such options as long-acting stimulants, meditation, and dietary changes to reduce fatigue, as well as non-opioid drugs, medical marijuana, and self-help options including yoga for the associated chronic pain.
Understanding Weight Control: Mind and Body Strategies for Lifelong Success
by Deborah C. PH.DThis guide explains why we gain weight and what we can do to lose it. Without advocating any particular diet, it details a mind-body strategy for realistic lifetime weight management.Aiming to instill healthy perspectives for lifelong weight control, this book focuses on strategies that are designed to be modified and rotated throughout life to promote motivation, liveliness, and curiosity—key elements of not only losing weight but maintaining a healthy one. Each chapter is backed by the latest scientific evidence, presented in a way that is clear and understandable to readers. Emerging successful strategies are highlighted, and myths such as those developed by product and diet advertising campaigns are debunked. Understanding Weight Control: Mind and Body Strategies for Lifelong Success presents a general, science-backed plan for long-term weight management. The author explains the physical and psychological factors of weight control—why our fat cells sometimes go rogue and what habits and other factors we can control to change that. She addresses coping with the mental challenges that accompany weight loss and control and additionally shares illustrative stories from her weight loss patients as well as from her own experience.
Universal Health Care (Health and Medical Issues Today)
by Claudio ButticèThis accessibly written book explains universal healthcare; the many forms it can take; and the issues, debates, and historical context underpinning the continued struggle for its implementation in the United States.Universal healthcare may be defined as any healthcare system that ensures at least basic coverage to most, if not all, citizens of a country. Although it may be implemented in many ways, universal healthcare has been widely accepted by international humanitarian organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) as the best way to ensure the universal human right to health. So why is the United States the only industrialized country without universal healthcare? What are the political, social, and economic factors that have prevented its successful introduction?Universal Healthcare explores what universal healthcare is, the many forms it can take—using examples from countries around the world—and the tumultuous history of attempts to implement a system of universal healthcare in the United States. Part II delves into the contentious issues and debates surrounding adoption of universal healthcare in the United States. Lastly, Part III provides a variety of useful materials, including case studies, a timeline of critical events, a glossary, and a directory of resources.
An Unmitigated Disaster: America's Response to COVID-19
by Robert O. SchneiderHighlighting American cultural and political contexts, this book provides an in-depth assessment of the breadth and magnitude of the United States' errors in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.An Unmitigated Disaster chronicles and explains the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency management expert Robert O. Schneider considers the quality of U.S. pandemic planning and preparedness; the quality and effectiveness of national, state, and local response efforts; and the performance of national leaders during this historic public health crisis. The book culminates in an assessment of how a predictable public health threat became an unprecedented health, economic, and security disaster. Schneider convincingly shows that conscious decisions were made by governmental authorities, beginning with the president, to ignore expert information and security intelligence in pursuit of other objectives. In other words, Schneider argues, if the U.S. was ill-prepared for or slow to respond to the crisis, it was because its leaders consciously chose to be ill-prepared or slow to respond. Readers will be fascinated by this behind-the-scenes exposé of a pandemic year.
Urban Health Issues: Exploring the Impacts of Big-City Living
by Richard V. CrumeLiving in an urban environment can have a major influence—both positive and negative—on one's physical health and mental well-being. This book examines more than 20 key issues related to city living and what's being done to address them.According to recent statistics, 80.7 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and more than half of the world's population lives in cities. From various types of pollution to crime to overcrowding, the urban environment can have massive impacts on our physical, psychological, and social health and well-being. Moreover, while certain aspects of living in a city, such as access to health care, can improve the lives of many, other factors can have detrimental effects and can lead to inequalities along racial and socioeconomic lines.Urban Health Issues: Exploring the Impacts of Big-City Living examines 23 key issues related to urban health, exploring their causes and consequences in depth and highlighting what cities and individuals can do to safeguard the well-being of urban residents. It also draws comparisons between cities in the United States and the industrialized world and those in poor and developing nations, providing important global insights. The material is brought to life by fascinating city case studies and illuminating interviews with experts working in a variety of fields.
Vaccination and Its Critics: A Documentary and Reference Guide (Documentary and Reference Guides)
by Lisa RosnerThis authoritative and unbiased narrative—supported by 50 primary source documents—follows the history of vaccination, highlighting essential medical achievements and ongoing controversies.This timely work provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific breakthrough known as vaccination and the controversy surrounding its opposition. A timeline of discoveries trace the medical and societal progression of vaccines from the early development of this medical preventive to the eradication of epidemics and the present-day discussion about its role in autism. The content presents compelling parallels across different time periods to reflect the ongoing concerns that have persisted throughout history regarding vaccination.Author Lisa Rosner provides a sweeping overview of the topic, covering the development of modern vaccines and practices, laws governing the distribution of vaccines, patients' rights, consumer advocacy, and vaccination disasters. Throughout the volume, primary source documents present the perspectives of researchers, public health specialists, physicians, patients, consumer advocates, and government officials, helping to illuminate the past, present, and future of vaccines on a global level.
Vaccination Controversies: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)
by David E. NewtonWhy is there such an active and ongoing resistance to mandatory vaccination? This book examines why vaccination as a public health measure continues to be highly controversial.Objections to mandatory vaccination are widespread in the world today. Rather than being a new development, such objections have existed since vaccinations were first introduced. This book provides complete coverage of the history and background of vaccination issues in the United States and around the world, along with a detailed examination of the issues related to the use of vaccination today, and supplies readers with the necessary information to consider if the potential benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.Vaccination Controversies: A Reference Handbook overviews the scientific basis for and history of immunization as a method for protecting individuals against disease, along with a review of the social, political, and economic issues related to the use of immunization in both human and animal populations. The book debunks prevalent public health myths by clearly outlining the scientific consensus behind modern immunization regimes. Also included are profiles of important individuals and organizations within the history of vaccination, a chronology of important events, as well as pertinent reports, laws, and court decisions that give the reader a greater appreciation of the issues surrounding vaccination.
Vaccination: Examining the Facts (Contemporary Debates)
by Lisa RosnerEveryone has opinions about vaccines, but what are the facts? This resource provides clear, unbiased, and up-to-date information on vaccination, which protects the world's populations not only from pandemics like COVID-19 but other dangerous diseases as well.Each title in the Contemporary Debates series examines the veracity of controversial claims or beliefs surrounding a major political/cultural issue in the United States. They do so to give readers a clear and unbiased understanding of current issues by informing them about falsehoods, half-truths, and misconceptions—and confirming the factual validity of other assertions—that have gained traction in America's political and cultural discourse.This latest addition to the series is the first reference work on vaccines written through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic. It asks—and answers—questions raised by the pandemic, such as how vaccines work, what causes side effects, and how COVID-19 vaccines were developed so quickly. It also addresses broader questions, such as how to protect vaccine supply chains and how to prevent public health issues from being politicized. In addition to correcting or clarifying well-known misinformation and misunderstandings about vaccines (such as false claims that they have been linked to autism), this book also provides up-to-date research on ways to counter disinformation and decrease vaccine hesitancy.
The Vaccine Debate (Health and Medical Issues Today)
by Tish DavidsonProviding accurate, accessible information on vaccines and the controversies that surround them, this book outlines the history of vaccine regulation and interactions between vaccines and the immune system, and thoughtfully considers each vaccine debate.A part of Greenwood's Health and Medical Issues Today series, The Vaccine Debate provides a straightforward introduction to the interaction between vaccines and the immune system. The book documents the rise of the anti-vaccination movement, provides reasons for its prominence today, and explains the effects of vaccine refusal on public health. It also addresses concerns about the role of government in regulating vaccine production and administration, along with questions about vaccine safety.Additionally, a majority of the book examines in detail seven major vaccine controversies and mainstream medical positions on them. These controversies are given individual attention, with questions at the end of each to encourage critical thinking about such topics as the effectiveness of vaccines in protecting public health and whether vaccinations should be mandatory for public school attendance.
Vampires in the New World
by Louis H. IIIThis book provides an engaging historical survey of the vampire in American popular culture over 100 years, ranging from Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula to HBO's television series True Blood.Vampires in the New World surveys vampire films and literature from both national and historical perspectives since the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, providing an overview of the changing figure of the vampire in America. It focuses on such essential popular culture topics as pulp fiction, classic horror films, film noir, science fiction, horror fiction, blaxploitation, and the recent Twilight and True Blood series in order to demonstrate how cultural, scientific, and ideological trends are reflected and refracted through the figure of the vampire.The book will fascinate anyone with an interest in vampires as they are found in literature, film, television, and popular culture, as well as readers who appreciate horror and supernatural fiction, crime fiction, science fiction, and the gothic. It will also appeal to those who are interested in the interplay between society and film, television, and popular culture, and to readers who want to understand why the figure of the vampire has remained compelling to us across different eras and generations.
Vampires Today: The Truth about Modern Vampirism
by Joseph P. LaycockThis book, about real vampires and the communities they have formed, explores the modern world of vampirism in all its amazing variety.Long before Dracula, people were fascinated by vampires. The interest has continued in more recent times with Anne Rice's Lestat novels, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the HBO series True Blood, and the immensely popular Twilight. But vampires are not just the stuff of folklore and fiction. Based upon extensive interviews with members of the Atlanta Vampire Alliance and others within vampire communities throughout the United States, this fascinating book looks at the details of real vampire life and the many expressions of vampirism as it now exists.In Vampires Today: The Truth about Modern Vampirism, Joseph Laycock argues that today's vampires are best understood as an identity group, and that vampirism has caused a profound change in how individuals choose to define themselves. As vampires come "out of the coffin," as followers of a "religion" or "lifestyle" or as people biologically distinct from other humans, their confrontation with mainstream society will raise questions, as it does here, about how we define "normal" and what it means to be human.
The Varieties of Magical Experience: Indigenous, Medieval, and Modern Magic
by Lynne L. Ph.D. Nevill DruryA rare combination of personal and academic, this book showcases the myriad avenues for transcending the boundaries of reality through direct sensory experience.The Varieties of Magical Experience: Indigenous, Medieval, and Modern Magic provides a comprehensive volume that examines magic in all its aspects. Through detailed case studies, verbatim accounts of personal experiences, and first-hand experience from the authors' own active participation in many alternative religious rituals and ceremonies, this unique book reveals how magic can be a universal phenomenon that crosses cultural, historical, and spatial boundaries.The work is organized in five sections that embrace several broad themes: indigenous magical and shamanic practices; medieval witchcraft; sorcery and hermetic magic; and contemporary Western magical practices, including the role of sexuality, trance, and meditation. The introductory section explores the idea of magic, other realities, and the employment of all the senses, while the final section discusses contemporary issues of ecology and cybermagic. The authors give voice to the powerful emotions and feelings that result from a magical encounter, providing engaging and accessible information to general readers, while those well versed in the opaque world of magic and occultism, consciousness studies, and imaginal and disembodied realms will appreciate the book's content at a deeper level.
Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Your Questions Answered (Q&A Health Guides)
by Alice C. RicherWhile following a plant-based diet can provide many health and environmental benefits, vegetarians and vegans are at greater risk for certain nutritional deficiencies. They may also face challenges when grocery shopping, dining out, and interacting with friends and family.More and more Americans are reducing or completely eliminating meat and other animal products from their diet. Some are motivated by concerns surrounding animal welfare and the environmental impact of meat, while others hope to improve their health by following a plant-based diet. Although a vegetarian or vegan diet can provide many benefits, it can also pose unique challenges and health risks.Part of Greenwood's Q&A Health Guides series, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Your Questions Answered follows a reader-friendly question-and-answer format that anticipates readers' needs and concerns. Prevalent myths and misconceptions are identified and dispelled, and a collection of case studies illustrates key concepts and issues through relatable stories and insightful recommendations. Each book in the series also includes a section on health literacy, equipping teens and young adults with practical tools and strategies for finding, evaluating, and using credible sources of health information both on and off the internet—important skills that contribute to a lifetime of healthy decision-making.
Vegetarianism and Veganism: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)
by David E. NewtonThis detailed and comprehensive overview of meat-free diets introduces readers to their long history in human cultures and analyzes some of the important questions and issues surrounding their practice in today's world.Vegetarianism and Veganism: A Reference Handbook provides a history and background of vegetarianism and veganism from prehistorical times to the present day, along with detailed discussions of the practice in each historical period since that time. The ancillary chapters provide additional information on important individuals and organizations in the field, relevant data and documents on the topic, an annotated bibliography, a chronology of important events, and a glossary of terms likely to be encountered in the field. Of special interest is the Perspectives chapter, in which stakeholders in the topic write about some specific aspect of its importance in their own lives.Intended for high school, college, an general readers, the volume covers the field of vegetarianism and veganism in cultures from around the world. Some specific topics include ancient views of vegetarianism, religious stands on the practice, the growth of vegetarian and vegan institutions, and current controversies over the practice of meat-free diets. It also includes a host of resources that readers can use to continue their own research in the field.
Vitamins and Minerals: Fact versus Fiction
by Myrna Chandler Goldstein Mark A. MDThis accessible reference profiles the vitamins and minerals most important to human health, presenting information in an easy-to-use format and summarizing the findings of key research studies.Everyone knows that vitamins and minerals are nonnegotiable components of optimal health. But what exactly do these substances do in the body, and how much of each is needed? What happens if an individual ingests too little or too much of a particular vitamin or mineral? Which foods are the best sources of them, and are dietary supplements a safe alternative? Do certain vitamins and minerals offer protection against certain diseases and medical conditions?Vitamins and Minerals: Fact versus Fiction provides answers to these and many other questions in an accessible format, backed by summaries of key research findings. This book cuts through the confusion and hype that surround the nutrition and supplements industries to offer readers clear guidance founded on solid medical research. A standardized chapter structure and several appendices make the most important information readily available, while introductory essays explore fundamental topics—such as different types of intake recommendations and how they're determined—in greater depth.
Wellness by the Numbers: Understanding and Interpreting American Health Statistics
by Jacqueline KlosekIdeal for high school and lower undergraduate readers, this book provides a holistic and multifaceted look at the state of health in the United States today by examining a wide variety of health indicators against necessary background and contextual information.Wellness by the Numbers: Understanding and Interpreting American Health Statistics presents the factual data that underlies health summaries—information that is not often readily available to readers. The statistical data regarding a variety of health indicators, accompanied by contextual information and analyses, serves to inform high school and lower undergraduate readers about the state of health in America today. Just as importantly, this book will document how scholars and health professionals analyze data to draw conclusions and sharpen readers' critical thinking skills.The book begins with an introductory essay that provides a conceptual framework for readers and a general overview of the topic of analyzing health across the nation. The "Locating Accurate and Current Data on Health-Related Information" section clearly explains the process of analyzing and interpreting statistical information, describes how to find authoritative sources of data, and defines the steps to reading and interpreting data and how to draw conclusions from the information. Each of the more than 40 key health topics includes an introduction of the particular health indicator being discussed, presents the data in tables, charts, or figures with concise analysis and interpretation, and concludes with discussion questions that challenge the reader to find additional meaning or patterns in the data.
Encyclopedia of Wellness [3 volumes]: From Açaà Berry to Yo-Yo Dieting [3 volumes]
by Sharon ZoumbarisThis wide-ranging encyclopedia addresses our rapidly changing understanding of health and wellness, providing a collection of essays that are up-to-date and comprehensive in both scope and breadth.Encyclopedia of Wellness: From Açaí Berry to Yo-Yo Dieting offers expert advice to anyone seeking information on a condition or illness. More than that, however, this three-volume resource is a compendium of practical information on how to reduce poor health choices and live a healthy, active, vibrant life.A source of basic, easily understandable entries on health and wellness, the encyclopedia covers an extraordinarily broad array of health-related topics including acupuncture, art therapy, biofeedback, food additives, nutrition labels, organic foods, and workplace wellness. Bulimia is covered, as are depression, autism, cancer, and environmental hazards. Essays examine issues related to healthy living for the mind and the body, stressing the importance of the mind-body connection to good health. Information is also offered on practical concerns such as medical savings accounts, changes in medical insurance, and the U.S. health care system. Throughout, the encyclopedia presents knowledge gleaned from new research on treatment and especially on choices in nutrition and exercise.
What You Need to Know about ALS (Inside Diseases and Disorders)
by Harry LeVine IIIThis book offers an accessibly written introduction to ALS, focusing on the topics that matter most to anyone whose life has been affected—directly or indirectly—by this condition.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons that drive voluntary movement. Those diagnosed with ALS experience difficulty moving and speaking and, as the condition worsens, difficulty swallowing and breathing. Beyond this definition, however, what do those affected by ALS need to know?What You Need to Know about ALS is a part of Greenwood's Inside Diseases and Disorders series. This series profiles a variety of physical and psychological conditions, and distills vast collections of scientific knowledge into concise, readable volumes. A list of "Top 10" essential questions begins each book, providing quick-access answers to readers' concerns. The text follows a standardized structure, with each chapter exploring a particular facet of the topic. In addition to covering causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, books in this series delve into issues that are less commonly addressed but still critical to understand, such as effects on loved ones and caregivers. Case illustrations highlight key themes discussed in the book and are accompanied by insightful analyses and recommendations.
What You Need to Know about Alzheimer's Disease (Inside Diseases and Disorders)
by Matthew Domico Valerie HillThis book provides readers with the information they need to better understand Alzheimer's disease. Written in easy-to-understand language, it is aimed at those who may have a parent, grandparent, or other loved one struggling with this condition.Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes problems with thinking, memory, and behavior. Such symptoms as memory loss usually develop slowly but get worse over time, eventually becoming severe enough to interfere with daily activities and bodily functions.What You Need to Know about Alzheimer's Disease is part of Greenwood's Inside Diseases and Disorders series. This series profiles a variety of physical and psychological conditions, distilling and consolidating vast collections of scientific knowledge into concise, readable volumes. A list of "Top 10" essential questions begins each book, providing quick-access answers to readers' most pressing concerns. The text follows a standardized, easily navigable structure, with each chapter exploring a particular facet of the topic. In addition to covering such basics as causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, books in this series delve into issues that are less commonly addressed but still critically important, such as effects on loved ones and caregivers. Case illustrations highlight key themes discussed in the book and are accompanied by insightful analyses and recommendations.
What You Need to Know about Asthma (Inside Diseases and Disorders)
by Evelyn B. KellyWhile some individuals with asthma consider the condition only a minor nuisance, for others it significantly interferes with daily activities and may even be life-threatening. This book offers readers a broad introduction to this common respiratory issue.Asthma is a respiratory condition marked by spasms, swelling, and excess mucus production in the bronchial passages of the lungs. This triggers coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. While asthma can usually be managed with medications and avoidance of certain triggers, it's a serious—potentially deadly—chronic disease.What You Need to Know about Asthma is part of Greenwood's Inside Diseases and Disorders series. This series profiles a variety of physical and psychological conditions, distilling and consolidating vast collections of scientific knowledge into concise, readable volumes. A list of "top 10" essential questions begins each book, providing quick-access answers to readers' most pressing concerns. The text follows a standardized, easy-to-navigate structure, with each chapter exploring a particular facet of the topic. In addition to covering such basics as causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, books in this series delve into issues that are less commonly addressed but still critically important, such as effects on loved ones and caregivers. Case illustrations highlight key themes discussed in the book and are accompanied by insightful analyses and recommendations.