The Breathing Disorders Sourcebook (Sourcebooks) [Paperback]

Francis Adams (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sourcebooks | Publication Date: November 1, 1998

Breathing disorders are one of the most common problems bringing patients to doctors' offices. The causes are diverse, ranging from anxiety to specific diseases of the brain, heart, lungs, and nasal and throat passages. The Breathing Disorders Sourcebook is an extensive guide to the causes, symptoms, and treatments for different types of breathing disorders. It explores the normal mechanisms involved in the act of breathing as well as what can go wrong and describes what to expect during the medical evaluation.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Adams (The Asthma Sourcebook, Lowell, 1995) has written a comprehensive guide to breathing disorders for the lay reader. He does not avoid medical terminology but uses contextual clues throughout to convey his meaning. The opening chapter describes the neurological and chemical processes necessary for respiration. Once the process of normal respiration is established, Adams describes what can go wrong. He enumerates the steps taken in diagnosing a breathing disorder and discusses many disorders in detail, covering causes, symptoms, and treatments. The final chapter has suggestions for pulmonary rehabilitation and learning to live with a breathing disorder. The book is illustrated with X-ray photographs and drawings and includes tables that outline the information in the text. An appendix of relevant sources, including publications, organizations, and Internet sites, completes this valuable book.?Sherry Feintuch, East Shore Lib., Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Author

I am a pulmonologist in private practice and have found that an informed patient is a healthier patient. This book should be regarded as a supplement to improve your understanding of normal breathing and lung disease. Too often, we take breathing for granted. Remember that breath is life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073730006X
• ISBN-13: 978-0737300062
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,994,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My father was a physician and my mother a nurse so that I feel I was born into medicine. My earliest memories are going on house calls and to the hospital with my Dad to see patients. This upbringing had a great impact on me and my brother and sister who are both health care professionals. I started working in hospitals in my teens, at first cleaning the operating rooms and then taking EKGs and breathing tests. I learned alot from my father who treated his patients as individuals, not as diseases. He treated everyone equally, rich or poor, and often accepted goods for his services or nothing at all if he felt his patient could not afford to pay. I also inherited from my parents a love and appreciation of art and beauty, nature, the dignity of animals, and a love of history. I majored in history in college and considered a career in diplomacy before deciding on medicine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Guide to Breathing Disorders and Treatment, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Breathing Disorders Sourcebook (Sourcebooks) (Paperback)

The Breathing Disorders Sourcebook is "the guide" on the breathing process and the disorders that are associated with it. Diseases of the air passaages reviewed include, Rhinitis, Nasal Polps, Sleep Apnea, Asthma, Chronir Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Brochiectas, Cystic Fibrosis, and Lung Cancer. The book also covers diseases of the air sacs and pulmonary vessels. The introductory chapter has a good primer on how the respiratory process works and is integrated with the rest of the body. Another chapter is devoted to medical evaluation and treatment, signs and symptoms of breathing disorders. The text is succinct and direct, with figures and illustrations to help the reader. At times, the book can be technical for the lay reader, but the book includes a useful glossary for terms that are unfamiliar. Perhaps the best value of this book is the abundance of resource material in the Appendix. There are listings of how to get information by phone, contact referral centers, pulmonary rehab centers, national organizations, newsletters, books and pamphlets, allergy and repiratory supplies, and of course, my favorite, a guide to the best web sites on breathing disorders. If you have a breathing disorder, this book definately should be read and will serve well as a future reference. The author brings a lot of experience to his book and it is clear he knows what he is talking about. A small investment for such an tremendous amount of information and advice.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone with a breathing problem., January 28, 1999

By 

MaryBeth (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breathing Disorders Sourcebook (Sourcebooks) (Paperback)

How do we breathe. Dr. Adams' dandy book lets us count the ways of how we breathe, what can go wrong and what can be done to help us breathe easier. I found the Breathing Disorders Sourcebook a great read with so much information that will allow you to improve your breathing and in many cases avoid lung disease by lifestyle changes. I recommended this book to anyone that has a lung disorder or wants to prevent getting a lung disorder.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you have a breathing disorder, February 21, 2007

By 

Myrtle (tucson arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breathing Disorders Sourcebook (Sourcebooks) (Paperback)

I am a non-smoker with COPD and allergies. Due to my job, I have access to just about any medical reference I want. I wanted a guide for medications and conditions to help me be better informed about my problems. I found this guide to be very useful. Dr. Adams presents excellent information on both diseases and conditions as well as medications. This book is a couple of years old, but still as up to date with medications as possible, and still quite useful. I am hoping he will update this guide soon, and I would purchase it if he did. I also have his newer guide to asthma, and it is quite good as well. I would recommend this if you need a reference for lung problems.