The 2002 official patient's sourcebook on asthma

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION...................................................................................... 1 Overview............................................................................................................... 1 Organization......................................................................................................... 3 Scope ..................................................................................................................... 3 Moving Forward................................................................................................... 4 PART I: THE ESSENTIALS ................................................. 7 CHAPTER 1. THE ESSENTIALS ON ASTHMA: GUIDELINES.................... 9 Overview............................................................................................................... 9 What Is Asthma?................................................................................................ 11 Common Symptoms of Asthma .......................................................................... 12 How to Take Care of Your Asthma..................................................................... 12 Is Your Asthma Under Control?........................................................................ 13 Taking the Right Medicines at the Right Times................................................. 14 The Long-Term-Control Medicines.................................................................... 15 How to Use Your Metered-Does Inhaler the Right Way ................................... 16 How to Use Your Peak Flow Meter.................................................................... 17 How to Take Your Peak Flow ............................................................................. 19 How to Control Things that Make Your Asthma Worse ................................... 20 For More Information......................................................................................... 23 More Guideline Sources ..................................................................................... 24 Vocabulary Builder............................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER 2. SEEKING GUIDANCE ....................................................... 41 Overview............................................................................................................. 41 Associations and Asthma ................................................................................... 41 Finding More Associations................................................................................. 51 Finding Doctors.................................................................................................. 53 Selecting Your Doctor ........................................................................................ 55 Working with Your Doctor ................................................................................ 55 Broader Health-Related Resources ..................................................................... 57 Vocabulary Builder............................................................................................. 57 CHAPTER 3. CLINICAL TRIALS AND ASTHMA .................................... 63 Overview............................................................................................................. 63 Recent Trials on Asthma .................................................................................... 66 Benefits and Risks............................................................................................... 82 Keeping Current on Clinical Trials.................................................................... 85 General References.............................................................................................. 86 Vocabulary Builder............................................................................................. 87 PART II: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND ADVANCED MATERIAL.................................................. 91 Contents viii CHAPTER 4. STUDIES ON ASTHMA...................................................... 93 Overview............................................................................................................. 93 The Combined Health Information Database ..................................................... 93 Federally-Funded Research on Asthma.............................................................. 94 E-Journals: PubMed Central ............................................................................ 103 The National Library of Medicine: PubMed .................................................... 108 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 115 CHAPTER 5. PATENTS ON ASTHMA .................................................. 121 Overview........................................................................................................... 121 Patents on Asthma............................................................................................ 122 Patent Applications on Asthma........................................................................ 134 Keeping Current ............................................................................................... 145 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 146 CHAPTER 6. BOOKS ON ASTHMA...................................................... 153 Overview........................................................................................................... 153 Book Summaries: Federal Agencies .................................................................. 153 The National Library of Medicine Book Index ................................................. 155 Chapters on Asthma ......................................................................................... 158 Directories......................................................................................................... 158 General Home References ................................................................................. 159 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 160 CHAPTER 7. MULTIMEDIA ON ASTHMA ........................................... 163 Overview........................................................................................................... 163 Video Recordings.............................................................................................. 163 Audio Recordings ............................................................................................. 165 Bibliography: Multimedia on Asthma.............................................................. 165 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 168 CHAPTER 8. PERIODICALS AND NEWS ON ASTHMA ........................ 171 Overview........................................................................................................... 171 News Services & Press Releases....................................................................... 171 Newsletters on Asthma..................................................................................... 183 Newsletter Articles ........................................................................................... 183 Academic Periodicals covering Asthma............................................................ 184 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 186 CHAPTER 9. PHYSICIAN GUIDELINES AND DATABASES................... 187 Overview........................................................................................................... 187 NIH Guidelines................................................................................................. 187 NIH Databases.................................................................................................. 190 Other Commercial Databases ........................................................................... 198 The Genome Project and Asthma ..................................................................... 198 Specialized References....................................................................................... 203 CHAPTER 10. DISSERTATIONS ON ASTHMA...................................... 205 Overview........................................................................................................... 205 Contents ix Dissertations on Asthma .................................................................................. 205 Keeping Current ............................................................................................... 207 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 207 PART III. APPENDICES .................................................. 209 APPENDIX A. RESEARCHING YOUR MEDICATIONS.......................... 211 Overview........................................................................................................... 211 Your Medications: The Basics .......................................................................... 212 Learning More about Your Medications .......................................................... 213 Commercial Databases...................................................................................... 220 Contraindications and Interactions (Hidden Dangers) ................................... 233 A Final Warning .............................................................................................. 234 General References............................................................................................ 235 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 235 APPENDIX B. RESEARCHING ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ................... 241 Overview........................................................................................................... 241 What Is CAM? ................................................................................................. 241 What Are the Domains of Alternative Medicine?............................................ 242 Can Alternatives Affect My Treatment? ......................................................... 245 Finding CAM References on Asthma............................................................... 246 Additional Web Resources................................................................................ 263 General References............................................................................................ 310 APPENDIX C. RESEARCHING NUTRITION......................................... 313 Overview........................................................................................................... 313 Food and Nutrition: General Principles........................................................... 314 Finding Studies on Asthma.............................................................................. 318 Federal Resources on Nutrition........................................................................ 322 Additional Web Resources................................................................................ 322 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 342 APPENDIX D. FINDING MEDICAL LIBRARIES.................................... 345 Overview........................................................................................................... 345 Preparation ....................................................................................................... 345 Finding a Local Medical Library ...................................................................... 346 Medical Libraries Open to the Public............................................................... 346 APPENDIX E. YOUR RIGHTS AND INSURANCE ................................. 353 Overview........................................................................................................... 353 Your Rights as a Patient................................................................................... 353 Patient Responsibilities .................................................................................... 357 Choosing an Insurance Plan............................................................................. 358 Medicare and Medicaid .................................................................................... 360 NORD’s Medication Assistance Programs ..................................................... 363 Additional Resources........................................................................................ 364 Vocabulary Builder........................................................................................... 365 Contents x ONLINE GLOSSARIES.................................................... 367 Online Dictionary Directories.......................................................................... 373 ASTHMA GLOSSARY ..................................................... 375 General Dictionaries and Glossaries ................................................................ 405 INDEX................................................................................... 407