Customer Reviews

Dr Tom Plaut's Asthma Guide for People of All Ages

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you were only going to read one book on asthma, this would be the one to choose. Asthma is frightening, frustrating, and leaves you with more questions than answers. Dr. Plaut understands the questions you have, and he answers them all in Dr.Tom Plaut's Asthma Guide for People of All Ages. He suggests tools you can use to manage your asthma and shows you how to use them in clear diagrams. Current medication names are included, both brand and generic names. He includes forms you can use to track your peak flow, keep an asthma journal, and work better with your own doctor.

Dr. Plaut believes that all people with asthma can achieve excellent asthma control, and his book will help you do just that. You will see yourself in the patient stories he shares. You will find every asthma resource you might ever need in the back of the book. There are lots of books about asthma. Just search on Amazon! But Dr. Plaut knows asthma, and this book will help you know and control your asthma, no matter how old you are. This is a book I read myself, and then I shared it with doctors and school nurses to help other people with asthma. People with asthma deserve excellent asthma control, and this book will help them get control.

I'm a medical librarian/information specialist and I know that there are 'other resources,' but this 'Asthma Guide' should be your first choice because it provides all one needs to understand and manage asthma! I've had asthma for 25 years! And after all this time and treatment, I am reading Dr. Plaut's Asthma Guide, wishing I had this comprehensive resource sooner! After reading only a few chapters, I've already learned so much more to help me and others like me. Thank you Dr. Plaut!

This is the most comprehensive and easiest to read book on asthma that I have ever used. I have asthma, my children have asthma and I am a Pediatrician who treats asthma. I found new information that I did not know especially on asthma in the environment, especially at school. I have recommended this book to the parents of my patients and to my teenage patients who have been very pleased with the increased knowledge and comfort level achieved in managing asthma. This book is a "must have" for anyone with asthma as it addresses asthma in children and adults. Thus it is a useful knowledge source for the parent as they are often learning more about their own asthma as well as their child's asthma. It is fun to read as there are stories of people with asthma that illustrate the points that Dr. Plaut makes. The resource section is the best that I have ever seen compiled and includes web site addresses.

I have read a number of books and articles on asthma. This is by far the most comprehensive, up to date and it is easy to understand, too. I checked a copy from my library but it is so good that I am going to purchase it for my personal reference library as well as my child's school nurse. This book even has short section explaining cough-variant asthma, which is what both me and my son have...this is a little known type of asthma which in my case was mis-diagnosed for 35 years.

Read Plaut's book shortly after my oldest son had his first asthma attack which nearly resulted in respiratory failure. Plaut's book is by far my best single source for useful information about causes, prevention and treatment. I consult it regularly and highly recommend it for anyone with or concerned about asthma. It was a lifesaver in my family!!!

This book not only answered all kinds of questions for me(a newly-diagnosed asthmatic), but also alleviated many of my fears. This book teaches you all about asthma and the proper use of the various medications so that you can work with your physician to control and live well with asthma. After reading this book and keeping the diary he recommends, I feel that I will be able to communicate more effectively and efficiently with my doctor, which in turn will help me get even better control of my asthma. If you or a member of your family have asthma, this book is absolutely essential.

I have found Dr. Tom Plaut's Asthma Guide for People of All Ages a crucial resource as we learn about our daughter's asthma. Dr. Plaut explains asthma physiology, medications, and devices very clearly. The tone is friendly and positive. The patient stories are like a support group, giving a window into other people's experiences. Some of the stories made me count my blessings! Others illuminated issues I hadn't really thought about, but that were in fact affecting my family.

These features alone would make the Asthma Guide for People of All Ages a good buy, but Dr. Plaut's book goes beyond physiology, treatments, and personal and family impact to address two important areas many people are likely to be struggling with, and which are valuable no matter what treatment you use. It explains how to understand and respond to your individual condition; and it encourages you to take an active role in your own care.

Some doctors take a one-size-fits-all stance--"this is how I like to treat asthma," in the words of one Procrustean family practitioner we consulted. In contrast, Dr. Plaut's approach provides information and reasoning to help you to understand your particular situation. It also teaches the skills you need to identify your own personal best state, to spot your own triggers and symptoms, and to know when you need to take action to prevent further trouble.

Again, too many physicians expect the patient to blindly do whatever the doctor says. This gets my goat. Dr. Plaut's book stresses the importance of working together with an experienced physician instead of just carrying out instructions. He shows how this enables the individual or family in the trenches to handle asthma care calmly and competently in a range of situations.

Family members are encouraged to work cooperatively instead of hierarchically with one another, as well as with their physician. Dr. Plaut recognizes the common pattern where, when a child has asthma, one parent takes on the job of being the asthma authority/caregiver, and he explains why this is not a sustainable long-term plan.

In harmony with the overall emphasis on shared knowledge and responsibility, there are also chapters on dealing with asthma at school or on family vacations--where the knowledge and responsibility of people outside the immediate family become important. The school chapter has very interesting and enlightening sections on applicable laws and common indoor air pollutants--as well as on how a typical teenager might behave during an asthma episode in school!

I recommend Dr. Tom Plaut's Asthma Guide for People of All Ages to anyone interested in learning how to be an active, empowered partner in their own asthma care or that of a family member.

My son's pediatrician recommended that I read this book. Having been recently diagnosed with asthma, we were exhausted from running from doctor to doctor (for 6 years) with no answers about his "cough". We were told to do everything from "ignore it", or just give "cough medicine" so we wouldn't have to listen to it anymore. Before I read this book, I felt very out of control with regard to my son's asthma. I cried after every doctor visit because I was so utterly overwhelmed by the technical lingo and all of the different medications and when/why I was giving them. Once I started reading this book, I cannot believe how much sense everything made. I knew what questions to ask, what terminology to use and more importantly, I felt in control. My son's pediatrician even commented to me how I was asking all the right questions, and how much of a difference he could see in me! I am not as stressed when my son was experiencing a "flare-up" and I even now understand WHY I am giving each medicine and what it does to help him.
I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book for anyone who wants to know more about asthma.

Dr. Plaut's book is informative, easy to read, and helpful. His direct, no-nonsense approach to treating asthma is reassuring, particularly after being newly diagnosed with asthma. His book has enhanced our ability to communicate with our son's doctors about his symptoms, prescribed medications, and signs of improvement. We are grateful for this comprehensive resource.

This is a tremedous book for anyone that thinks they might have asthma or if they actually have been diagnosed with asthma. My 22 month old was recently diagnosed with asthma and even though I'm a college graduate I was having some trouble making sense of all the medications and reading the signs when he was having trouble since he's too young for a peak flow meter. This book covers it all in great deal and teaches you how to really manage your asthma whether you can use a peak flow meter or not. A wonderful book and worth far more than the list price. The author is actually an asthma specialist and indicated you can get the information in this book from your doctor, but it would take 10 hours. It would be difficult for you to remember and you would probably not want to pay for it! I think that is a good description of this book! It goes along exactly with what my doctor has been saying, only presents it in an organized manner along with some forms in the back to keep a daily diary and treatment plan. EXCELLENT!!!