Book Description
The first book to address emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from a nutritional and alternative medicine approach

• Explains the benefits of detoxification, dietary changes, and food combining

• Details 45 suggested herbs and 26 nutritional supplements as well as information on how to stop smoking

Approximately 35 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with some form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)--emphysema constituting 18 million of that group. Worldwide, as many as 293 million people suffer with these conditions. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America, claiming nearly 120,000 lives annually. Yet conventional approaches to treatment, with their regimens of drugs and unceasing physical therapy, provide neither cure nor significant relief.

In Natural Therapies for Emphysema and COPD, Robert Green shows that alternative holistic therapies ranging from herbs to homeopathy offer great promise in relieving COPD’s debilitating symptoms. Starting with the basics of the physiology of respiration, Green presents a comprehensive program that includes detoxification, dietary changes, nutritional supplements, and herbal medicine; breathing techniques and exercise options such as aerobics, yoga, qigong, and tai chi; and alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture, and massage--noting how and why each therapy works. He also details how to stop smoking, includes resources for alternative health practitioners, and provides sources for the alternative products recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very thorough and well organized
This book covers it all.If you're looking for alternative methods for treating COPD or any lung disease, then I would recommend this book.It's very well organized and informative and covers just about everything involving COPD, it's causes,and the various treatments available. There's no fluff here.

A survey alternative health libraries will want.
Robert J. Green Jr.'s NATURAL THERAPIES FOR EMPHYSEMA AND COPD: RELIEF AND HEALING FOR CHRONIC PULMONARY DISORDERS shows that alternative holistic therapies from herbs to homeopathy offer relief in coping with COPD's symptoms - and can be blended into the author's comprehensive treatment program, presented here. From dietary changes and nutritional supplements to exercises from aerobics to yoga, a range of alternative therapies are brought into play in a survey alternative health libraries will want. ... Read more

Book Description
"Dr. François Haas is an unusually gifted scientist and a compassionate human being."-HOWARD A. RUSK, M.D. Founder and Chairman, Rusk Institute

The bestselling guide for chronic bronchitis and emphysema sufferers-newly revised and expanded. For the millions of people diagnosed with chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, this bestselling guide is now revised and expanded to offer the most up-to-date information available. From helping you understand your disease and its proper care to showing you how to restore vitality and satisfaction to your relationships, Dr. François Haas and Dr. Sheila Sperber Haas provide you with the facts and information needed to find the right treatment and take full advantage of it. Written in a clear and helpful style, The Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema Handbook now includes current information on useful complementary approaches-including herbal therapy-plus effective exercises and the latest medical advances. You'll discover:

• How to find the right doctor for you and discuss your treatment options
• How to deal with HMOs and the companies that provide supplemental oxygen
• Which new surgical techniques are most promising
• How to manage stress and anxiety
• How to slow your disease and substantially improve your quality of life
• A variety of helpful resources accessible by phone or web
• The newsletters written by experts that will keep you up-to-date

Customer Reviews (6)

The Best Book on COPD for Lay People
Having finally realized early in 2007 that I had COPD after two years of misdiagnoses, I started working my way through both the popularly written and medical literature in an effort to understand what was happening. This is, hands down, the single best book for a newbie to COPD. It lucidly and accurately covers the important medical data on the set of conditions (bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma) that together constitute COPD. There are other books worth having, but this is the one to start with. One does want to get the second edition, since quite a bit was learned about COPD in the decade between the two editions, for example, about the signficance, use, availability of, and third-party payment for, oxygen therapy for COPD patients.

An earlier reviewer has trashed the book as depressing and a downer for people with COPD. His review so attacked the book that it almost discouraged me from buying it. I probably would have skipped it, had I not been dedicated to buying just about everything that seemed as though it might be even remotely useful. I'm glad that I didn't follow his advice, for that's not how I read the book. Instead, I found it empowering. Understanding the disease (or more properly, diseases) and knowing exactly how each works strikes me as the sine qua non for adopting coping strategies. Many of the medical books I've gotten cover the same territory as the Haases in -- as one would expect - a much more thorough and technical manner. But none present the information so readably. In essence the Haases have distilled and abstracted most of the important information to be found in the more recondite medical texts.

One can employ numerous strategies to palliate the symptoms, to retard the disease's degenerative progression, to improve how one fells, most likely to extend one's lifetime, and -- unless one is at the most severe end of the disease -- to achieve a considerably improved quality of life. The (admittedly rather grisly) illustration of a "pink puffer" and a "blue bloater," which so distressed the disgruntled reviewer, let me know that I had the type of COPD in which bronchitis predominated (i.e., I'm a "blue bloater" but without the cyanosis, thank goodness). Useful to know (and subsequently confirmed by my physician), since the long-term course of bronchitis and emphysema are different. Puffers and bloaters also need to adopt different diets: the former (with emphysema dominant) lose weight, while bloaters tend to be overweight. The one needs to eat to gain wait, the other to lose weight. It may depress Disgruntled, but I found this useful to know -- and learned it all from the Haases.

The book has myriad useful tips. Many of these can be found elsewhere, but here they are all together in one handbook. To cite just a few: the importance and utility: of breathing exercises; of (for some patients) pulmonary rehabilitation therapy, which dislodges mucous from the bronchii so that it can be expelled; of diet (emphasize anti-oxidants like fruits & vegetables); of the right meds; of natural pharmacological agents that over a long term tend benignly to influence lung functioning (such as megadoses of Vitamins A, C, and E, a discussion of which probably is not in the first edition, since most of the studies have been done after 1990); of the counterintuitive importance of exercise for patients who sometimes feel so fatigued that they can't get out of bed; of the organizations, newsletters, and support groups for COPD that exist; of the importance for many patients of using oxygen 24/7 (statistically it extends the lifetime of moderately to severely afflicted COPD patients by a year and a half: a good guess, though, is that oxygen therapy + diet + exercise + meds + not smoking again, ever, + avoiding situations likely to cause bronchial infections and irritation = the strong likelihood of a significantly longer and productive lifetime).

One will, then, learn from the Haas's book not only that one will probably die from the disease but also the many things that one can do before then to improve one's breathing and one's quality of life. So far as dying goes, I might add that I personally found it quite comforting to learn that my hitherto fantasied end of dying while gasping for breath -- is a fantasy. Most COPD patients will lapse into an irrecoverable coma when they reach the point where their lungs can't put enough oxygen into their blood stream even to maintain consciousness. Which is to say that we usually die painlessly in our sleep.

Which brings me to my last point, which neither the Haases nor anyone other than a handful of people working in the field discuss much, though one sees it often mentioned en passant: COPD can hinder one's ability to think. By diminishing the blood supply (and thus the quantity of oxygen) available for the frontal lobes to use, it can drastically reduce one's ability to think abstractly, to problem-solve. It also interferes with one's psychomotor skills (e.g., hand-eye coordination), but for most COPD patients that probably matters less. Pretty useful to know that you're not necessarily getting more stupid by the day, but instead that your brain is suffering from hypoxia (oxygen deprivation). Interestingly, the disease does not affect one's memory or language skills in the same way, which definitely suggests that the primary oxygen deficit is in the frontal lobes. [See Sean B. Rourke, Julie D. Rippeth, and Igor Grant "Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Hypoxemia and the Treatment Effects of Long-Term Oxygen Therapy" in Walter J. Odonohue, ed., Long-Term Oxygen Therapy: Scientific Basis and Clinical Application. Informa Healthcare, 1995 - available through Amazon.] This also means that dextro-methamphetamine (such as Adderall) can be useful for counteracting the diminished cognitive functioning by dint of increasing blood flow (and thus the quantity of oxygen) to the frontal lobes. So far as I have been able to ascertain, there is no experimental literature on this, despite the obvious logic of the hypothesis. Thus, not the Haases, nor the authors of the paper I cited, nor anyone else that I have read even suggests as a wild hypothesis that moderate doses of d-methamphetamine might provide considerable relief for cognitive disturbances in COPD patients, especially those with bronchitis dominant, since d-meth automatically also works as an appetite suppressant. For that very reason, however, it might be dangerous for emphysema-dominant COPD patients, since they already tend to be underweight and suffering from malnutrition. So how might a bronchitis-dominant COPD patient get Adderall or a generic for it prescribed? One way would be also to get diagnosed for adult attention deficit disorder, the symptoms of which closely resemble those caused by frontal lobe hypoxia in adults.

One needs to know the kinds of things I've discussed when one talks to one's physician, so that together you can plan a feasible strategy for stabilizing the disease. The damage already done can't be reversed, but there is much one can do to slow the disease's progression to a crawl. One can't count on the docs knowing everything. The COPD patient her- or himself needs to know as much as possible about the disease. For the physicians, even pulmonologists, your disease is one of many that they need to treat. For you it is -- or should be -- the main thing you need to know about. So buy the Haas's book and start acquiring the necessary information.

This is the book you need to read...
My Dad has emphysema and I got him this book, which of course, being the hard head he is, he refused to read it. My Mom, however, read it through and through and it just so happens it saved my Dad's life on more than one occasions. If you have any kind of COPD problem this is a great book to learn how to cope. Don't be like my Dad and wait for someone to do it for you. Life short...this book may help you to make it much longer and much easier to deal with if you are suffering with this disease or you know or love someone who is. My Dad just had his 73rd birthday. He is on oxygen 24/7. He play golf everyday. Before this book...he was a couch potato. My hearts and prayers are with all of you out there dealing with this. I hope this book helps you like it has helped my family.

Makes You Want to Shoot Yourself!
I absolutely found this book repugnant. The illustractions are frightening and grim. In fact Figure 3.1 a wicked line drawing of a "pink puffer and a blue bloater" looks like a dark ages depiction of hell. Everyone with COPD knows we are going to die and that we are going to die younger than our cohorts. At fifty-five and having been diagnosed at forty, this book temporarily robbed me of any hope to lead an even worthwhile life. This was all compounded by the once again grotesque illustrations by Kenneth Axen. Far better and more hopeful is the "Courage" book that offers a story of hope, dignity, and the ability to cope. As a licensed psychotherapist I actually think the "Handbook" could be psychologically damaging to some patients. Since depression and anxiety go hand in hand with COPD, the "in your face" approach to this book is best to be avoided

The Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema Handbook
This handbook is a Godsend. Every website I went to gave mostly explanations of what COPD is. Those of us who suffer with COPD usually know what it is. This book is like a "COPD For Dummy's". It gives information on an enormous amount of topics in plain lay English. I can't thank the authors enough for this important tool.

The Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema Handbook
I writing this review with the thought that I owe the authors a BIG thank you and it's my hope to do a little payback for their huge contribution to the health of my Father. Ten plus years ago, my father was diagnosed with severe Emphysema which was causing heart failure.The Doctor's managed to get his heart out of fibulation by putting him on an oxygen tank.They said he would always have to be on oxygen.My father did the breathing excercises in this book and was off the oxygen with in a few months and went on to live a much better life for the next 10 years.He always attributed his health to me for buying him this book.He amazed his doctors.He bought this book for other patients Doctors told him they wouldn't read and follow the excercises.I don't know if they did or not. At any rate I'm now purchasing this for my Father-in-law whom has just had a quadrople bypass yesterday and it was found that he has severe empysema.So, hopefully I can pursade him to follow in my Dad's foot steps and take charge of his healing by doing the breathing excercises in this book religiously!
... Read more

Book Description
This is a 3-in-1 reference book. It gives a complete medical dictionary covering hundreds of terms and expressions relating to emphysema. It also gives extensive lists of bibliographic citations. Finally, it provides information to users on how to update their knowledge using various Internet resources. The book is designed for physicians, medical students preparing for Board examinations, medical researchers, and patients who want to become familiar with research dedicated to emphysema.If your time is valuable, this book is for you. First, you will not waste time searching the Internet while missing a lot of relevant information. Second, the book also saves you time indexing and defining entries. Finally, you will not waste time and money printing hundreds of web pages.Download Description
This is a 3-in-1 reference book. It gives a complete medical dictionary covering hundreds of terms and expressions relating to emphysema. It also gives extensive lists of bibliographic citations. Finally, it provides information to users on how to update their knowledge using various Internet resources. The book is designed for physicians, medical students preparing for Board examinations, medical researchers, and patients who want to become familiar with research dedicated to emphysema. If your time is valuable, this book is for you. First, you will not waste time searching the Internet while missing a lot of relevant information. Second, the book also saves you time indexing and defining entries. Finally, you will not waste time and money printing hundreds of web pages. ... Read more

Book Description
BREATHE OUT THROUGH PURSED LIPS!Those words are golden for persons with chronic lung disease.Once mastered, the technique can help with everything from going up stairs to picking up a grandchild, all without shortness of breath. That advice and so many more practical tips for getting through the day and getting through life are contained in the pages of this book.Understanding how lungs work in good health and bad is the key to avoiding symptoms, preventing complications and staying independent. The book is based on the very successful series of classes, called the Respiratory Disease Self-Care Classes, provided for many years by the New Mexico Lung Association. ... Read more

Book Description
In this defining and seminal work, Robert Green Jr., N.D. presents the first book ever to take an in depth look at the therapeutic approaches based on nutrition, natural medicine, and alternative medicine that are capable of improving the health and condition of people living with emphysema/COPD.This book, written primarily for individuals who have been diagnosed by a physician with emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, contains the vital information on natural and alternative therapeutics that you and your physician need to know. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Get The New Edition !!!
This book is now out of print.Because of the great success of this first edition, it has been replaced by an updated new 2nd edition.The new edition can be seen at amazon by clicking Natural Therapies for Emphysema and COPD: Relief and Healing for Chronic Pulmonary Disorders

The Book on Emphysema I have been looking for!
For the natural treatment of emphysema this is the book.

Informative
I think this book was informative, helpful and written with the idea of helping COPD sufferes and their families. (Unline some other books that seem to have been written just for the money.) Mr. Green takes an honest and helpful approach to explaining why and how the condition effects the body and some very pratical ideas to help make living each day better. I would recommend this as great reading for anyone who has or knows someone who suffers from COPD.

A Readable Look at the Naturapathic Approach to COPD
Not having a medical background, I was impressed with the clarity,readability and organization of the book's presentation, as well as how exhaustively the subject of COPD was treated.

The book began with a comprehensive explanation of the nature of the disease, proceeded to the myriad protocols for treatment of the disease and ended with a summary of final thoughts on the topic.The appendices and the glossary proved useful resources as well.

Overall, the book was a very professional work that added to the general scholarship of COPD and to my understanding of this very debilitating disease.

Accurate, Extensive, and Well Written
Well written with substantial and accurate scientific evidence...there is a demand for such information by those suffering from COPD, and their families. My hope is that medical caregivers become enlightened, as well, with this book.
Robert F. Waters, Ph.D.
... Read more

Book Description
This pocket guide provides day-to-day support for living with COPD by offering immediate reference to medical information and practical approaches for dealing with the physical, emotional, disease.Mark Jenkins focuses on ways to maintain optimal physical and mental health and lays out practical management strategies for living with COPD ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

I trained in this program and it helped tremendously
This book started the Self-Management approach to chronic illness. I trained in the Self-Management program and have led groups for years, and have seen people make wonderful changes.This experience and knowledge inspired me to write my book, The Art of Getting Well.

Drs Lorig, Holman, Sobel and the other authors lay out all you need to know to develop your programs of exercise, relaxation, emotional support, and healthy eating.They also teach how to deal successfully with medical systems and treatments.

The book stresses living the best possible life, not just following medical orders or watching everything you eat.It's an excellent complement to my book, which will provide some inspiration to attempt the behavior changes that "Living a Healthy Life" explains so well.

Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions...
This book does an excellent job of presenting how chronic illness patients are overwhelmed and how they can aggressively
confront the debilitating cycle and successfully manage the lifestyles they must lead.Everyone with a chronic illness is forced to live differently than all others, no matter their age.
The book analyzes and describes the depleting cycle that anyone with a chronic, dibilitating illness encounters, and offers proven solutions on how to break the debilitating cycle and progress outward inspite of the illness.

Good resource for seniors
This book, written in a very simple, "self-help" style, seems to be geared to the senior citizen suffering from chronic illness and emphasizes developing and implementing management plans for exercise, diet,and medical care.While much of it is common sense, it does offerbulleted, structured outlines for communicating with medical professionals,managing medicines, planning for the future (and possibly greater physicaldegeneration), and most of all acknowledges the feelings and depressionthat often accompany chronic illness. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Asthma kills 6,000 people a year. Respiratory illnesses affect millions more. According to Teresa Hale, asthmatics and others with respiratory illnesses are breathing wrong. "We have been led to believe that deep breathing is good for us because it increases our oxygen intake. In fact, the reverse is true. The more we breathe, the less oxygen actually reaches the cells of our bodies," says Hale in Breathing Free: The Revolutionary 5-Day Program to Heal Asthma, Emphysema, Bronchitis, and Other Respiratory Ailments. Her breathing program, Breath Connection, teaches you to change your breathing patterns so that you won't need to wheeze, breathe heavily, or take gulps of air after exertion. Hale promises that five days on this program will reduce your need for medications, and regular practice often increases metabolism and leads to weight loss.

Breathing Free gives a self-test to assess your breathing and teaches several techniques to improve it. Hale explains how to adapt the program for mild, moderate, or severe asthma; emphysema; bronchitis; panic attacks; general health; and children with asthma. She also suggests dietary guidelines.

Hale's program is based on the work of Konstantin Buteyko of the former Soviet Union. It is easy to understand, but will take time and effort to master. But Hale says you have a choice: "Stay where you are, with your daydreams and your deteriorating health, or take control and make some effort to effect permanent change." Hale founded Britain's renowned Hale Clinic, whose clients have included Princess Diana, the Duchess of York, Tina Turner, Richard Gere, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. --Joan PriceBook Description
MAKE THE BREATH CONNECTION -- AND SAVE YOUR OWN LIFE

Are you one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who suffer from asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, or other respiratory ailments? Far too often, people with these illnesses are prescribed medications that only mask symptoms, instead of really treating the underlying condition. If you are among this group, it's time for you to escape this prison and start Breathing Free.

Teresa Hale, founder of the world-renowned Hale Clinic, has created a groundbreaking treatment that can dramatically change the lives of anyone who feels the crippling affect these illnesses can have on their daily lives, in as little as five days. Called the Breath Connection, this revolutionary program is based on more than forty-five years of empirical research, as well as the Buteyko method, which focuses on dysfunctional breathing, or overbreathing, as the cause of more than 200 respiratory diseases.

Breathing Free is complete with line drawings and clear instructions on how to use these simple methods to reestablish normal breathing patterns to prevent and overcome attacks, restore healthy and restful sleep, and reduce the need for medication by up to 60 percent. For the many people who have lived with the struggle of breathing problems, Breathing Free provides hope for relief, better health, and a better life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

GOOD INFO, BUT A BIT VAGUE
Well, how do I begin?First, I must say that I approached this book a bit cautiously optimistic based on the mixed reviews I read here.I had really wanted to get Close Your Mouth,by Patrick McKeown but I didn't want to wait.Luckily I found a local bookstore that had Breathing Free so I bought it right away.I must point out, I do not have asthma, but I know I'm a chronic hyperventilator that's been extrememly problematic this past year.

After I read it, I found the poor reviews were really based on somewhat poor comprehension of the material, although my biggest gripe is that the book IS a bit vague as some of the reviewers pointed out (Good thing I went ahead and ordered Close Your Mouth).

Does this method (Buteyko)work?I'm not sure yet, as it's only been 3 or 4 days.But I feel more controlled over my overbreathing, and I'm more conscious of it.I've already seen an improvement over how many breaths a minute I take, but not really in my controlled pause.I'm not sure if it's going to prove to be a panacea for me, but the stress levels I've been experiencing are becoming more manageable.

Conclusion: At this point, this book has been helpful, but based on other reviews I think there may be better books on the topic. Read this as an introduction, but be prepared to invest in other books.

Brilliant! - all asthma sufferers must try this out.
The idea presented in this book is so simple and radical, I read with severe skepticism.But I made an agreement with myself to give the 5-day program a try anyway.Well, it works!You truly get results in 5 days - but you have to commit to it.It's worth it.It hasn't cured my condition, but it has had a significant impact.I'm confident that if I continue to practice the breathing technique, and follow the other recommendations in the book about dietary adjustments, drinking habits, etc, the effects will continue.

dangerous book
i bought this book for a man with emphysema . the only good advice is to breathe through the nose.a technique taught in other medical info for pulmonary patientsafter they have calmed down from losing thier breath. Pulmonary rehab teaches deep breathing and other lung excersises , in every study and there are numerous, patientshave improved breathing dramaticlly . so deep breathing is not a bad thing as this book would have one think , and anyone who has any educationknows thatplants and trees do not use oxygen they create it .the book is very redundant in speaking of the hale clinic . it critisizes medicines that are effective though have harsh side effects in helping with breath for those whom are severely ill but leaves nothing to replace them , other then breathe through the nose. however if the medicines are removed the person in all likely hood would not be able to breathe at all .it truly is not a helpful book , and when trying to go to the website , one came up with nothing but ads that the hale clinic probably gets paid to have on the so called site . or what i call a non existant site.with no contact info, it is wrong to give people a false sense of hope while giving them misinformation that benefits the seller of the information .it gives afalse quick solution that does not work to those who are seeking desperately to find something , anything . and is dangerous to that person if they quit medicines tht help them breathe based on the misinformation in this book .

In total agreement with asthmatics review
The Buteyko method is a superb therapy for asthma. Teresa Hales book touches on it but does not contain it. There are many books available which are worthy of reading especially if you have asthma, fatigue and other complaints. For example- do a search for Asthma Free naturally, Every Breath you take, The Buteyko Manual or a very simple read with all exercises called Close Your Mouth.

Good luck and healthy breathing

Fair Introduction, but reads like a sales pamphlet
This book is a skimpy introduction to the Buteyko method, which seems to work.While the Buteyko method is very good, this book is deliberately vague about the details of the actual exercises.Hale spends chapter after chapter describing all the illnesses that the Breath Connection method will cure, but leaves many key questions about the method unanswered.Why do you take your pulse? How exactly do you breath shallowly?Do you use your diaphragm?Do you count?If not, how are you sure that you are doing it right?

Hale is plainly drumming up business for her clinic, so if there are more complete books on Buteyko elsewhere, I would strongly recommend going there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very informative and easy to follow and understandthis book
this book has made it possible for me to understand my illness and be able to undestand what is happening to my body and to be able to care for myself in a more energy efficient way.tina dorsey ... Read more

Book Description
Recognize the signs of asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, and manage these disorders effectively to prevent life-threatening complications.In just 30 minutes, you'll get a wealth of practical information to help you understand and treat these common respiratory disorders. You'll see exactly what's happening inside the patient's body and know precisely what it means to your nursing care.Among other things, you'll learn how to:h identify factors that can trigger a dangerous acute exacerbationh quickly spot the signs and symptoms of an acute exacerbationh expertly assess patients with asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitish analyze ABG levels and chest X-rays to estimate the details of respiratory compromiseh prepare patients for therapy with bronchodilators, corticosteroids, mast-cell stabilizers, antileukotrienes, and other treatmentsh teach patients how to manage their disorder after discharge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not a real CD-Rom
This "CD-Rom" is not a real program. It's only an advertisement for the VHS video program by the same name. Look for the VHS instead. ... Read more

Book Description
The article is excerpted fromGale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

Consult the second edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depth medical guide for information on more than 1,700 medical topics in language accessible to adult laypersons. Presented in a single alphabetical sequence, articles range in length from one or two paragraphs for minor topics, to several pages or more for major topics. Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description; causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more. Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes; precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and much more. This second edition includes more than 200 new entries, 300 updated entries, approximately 650 color images and illustrations, and a comprehensive subject index. New features include biographical and historical sidebars throughout the text.

Disease/disorder articles contain some or all of the following sections:

• Definitions -- brief dictionary-style definition of the disorder
• Descriptions -- overview of the disorder; who gets it and why
• Causes & symptoms -- process, substance or organism that produces the condition; any risk factors that increase susceptibility to the condition; signs and symptoms of the disease
• Diagnosis -- overview of procedures and tests used to diagnose the condition; how the test is done; who should be tested and when; time required; cost; whether it's typically covered by insurance
• Treatments -- overview of conventional methods of care or management of the condition, such as drugs, surgeries, physical therapy, etc.
• Alternative treatments -- overview of alternative/complementary therapies that may be used to treat the condition
• Prognosis -- probable outcome of the disease
• Preventions -- what actions can be taken to prevent the condition from occurring

Book Description
The article is excerpted fromGale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

Consult the second edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depth medical guide for information on more than 1,700 medical topics in language accessible to adult laypersons. Presented in a single alphabetical sequence, articles range in length from one or two paragraphs for minor topics, to several pages or more for major topics. Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description; causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more. Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes; precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and much more. This second edition includes more than 200 new entries, 300 updated entries, approximately 650 color images and illustrations, and a comprehensive subject index. New features include biographical and historical sidebars throughout the text.

Disease/disorder articles contain some or all of the following sections:

• Definitions -- brief dictionary-style definition of the disorder
• Descriptions -- overview of the disorder; who gets it and why
• Causes & symptoms -- process, substance or organism that produces the condition; any risk factors that increase susceptibility to the condition; signs and symptoms of the disease
• Diagnosis -- overview of procedures and tests used to diagnose the condition; how the test is done; who should be tested and when; time required; cost; whether it's typically covered by insurance
• Treatments -- overview of conventional methods of care or management of the condition, such as drugs, surgeries, physical therapy, etc.
• Alternative treatments -- overview of alternative/complementary therapies that may be used to treat the condition
• Prognosis -- probable outcome of the disease
• Preventions -- what actions can be taken to prevent the condition from occurring