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          MediFocus MedCenter ©

                    Adult Asthma
                                  (AM002)
                          Introduction

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the airways undergo changes when stimulated by allergens or other environmental triggers that causes an inability to breathe properly. There is inflammation, hyperresponsiveness and at least partial obstruction of the airways that cause both short and long-term symptoms. There is also excessive production of mucus.

The heightened responsiveness of asthmatic airways causes reactions to stimuli that trigger little or no change in the airways of normal subjects. The cause of this hyperresponsiveness is not clearly understood. There is some evidence that chronic inflammation may play a role.

The cause of asthma is multifactorial and includes both hereditary and environmental factors. Most cases of asthma are thought to be related to the presence of allergies, however not all persons with allergies have asthma and not all cases of asthma can be attributed to allergies.

Asthma affects up to 10% of the population or almost 15 million Americans. The prevalence of asthma has risen dramatically over the past several decades, the reasons for which are not known.

Asthma is treated with a variety of medications, both oral and inhaled. Intravenous medications and oxygen may be necessary in acute attacks.


Get the Facts... With your MediFocus Guide
The Medifocus Guide on Asthma provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:

What are the most common symptoms of asthma?

Are there any recognized risk factors for developing asthma?

What kinds of medical tests are used to establish the diagnosis of adult asthma?

What is the current standard of care for the treatment of adult asthma?

What treatment options are available for the management of adult asthma?

Are there any promising new developments or potential breakthroughs in treatment?

Who are the most notable medical authorities who specialize in adult asthma?

Where are the leading hospitals and centers of research for adult asthma?

What are the most important questions to ask my doctor about adult asthma?


What Your Doctor Reads:
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:

The importance of allergens in the development of asthma and the persistence of symptoms.

Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. 2000

Unmet needs in adult asthma.

Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 2000

Asthma: individual patient perspective and current unmet needs.

Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 2000

Gastro-oesophageal reflux treatment for asthma in adults and children.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. 2000

Limited (information only) patient education programs for adults with asthma.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. 2000

Vaccines for preventing influenza in people with asthma.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. 2000

Developing and communicating a long-term treatment plan for asthma.

American Family Physician. 2000

The role of atypical organisms in asthma.

Allergy & Asthma Proceedings. 2000

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma.

Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2000

Workplace respiratory irritants and asthma.

Occupational Medicine. 2000

MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information

MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options; a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups where you can obtain additional information about the illness.

MediFocus Guides are the perfect solution for consumers who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of their medical issue and avail themselves of the same type of professional level medical information that is used by physicians and other health-care professionals to help then in the clinical decision making process.
© Copyright 2000-2001 Medifocus.com, Inc. All rights reserved.


Click here for more information.



                                
          MediFocus MedCenter ©

                            Childhood Asthma
                                                  (AM003)
                                                Introduction

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the airways undergo changes when stimulated by allergens or other environmental triggers that causes an inability to breathe properly. There is inflammation, hyperresponsiveness and at least partial obstruction of the airways that cause both short and long-term symptoms. There is also excessive production of mucus.

The heightened responsiveness of asthmatic airways causes reactions to stimuli that trigger little or no change in the airways of normal subjects. The cause of this hyperresponsiveness is not clearly understood. There is some evidence that chronic inflammation may play a role.

The cause of asthma is multifactorial and includes both hereditary and environmental factors. Most cases of asthma are thought to be related to the presence of allergies, however not all persons with allergies have asthma and not all cases of asthma can be attributed to allergies.

Asthma is the most common chronic condition in children younger than 18 years of age. Recent estimates predict that asthma affects approximately 4.8 million children in that age group. This accounts for 5-10% of all children in the US. Children younger than 18 not only represent about one-third of all asthmatics, but the prevalence in this age group is increasing much faster than in adults.

Asthma is treated with a variety of medications, both oral and inhaled. Intravenous medications and oxygen may be necessary in acute attacks.

Get the Facts... With your MediFocus Guide

The Medifocus Guide on Childhood Asthma provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:

What are the most common symptoms of Childhood Asthma?

Are there any recognized risk factors for developing Childhood Asthma?

What kinds of medical tests are used to establish the diagnosis of Childhood Asthma?

What is the current standard of care for the treatment of Childhood Asthma?

What treatment options are available for the management of Childhood Asthma?

Are there any promising new developments or potential breakthroughs in treatment?

Who are the most notable medical authorities who specialize in Childhood Asthma?

Where are the leading hospitals and centers of research for Childhood Asthma?

What are the most important questions to ask my doctor about Childhood Asthma?


What Your Doctor Reads:
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:

Advances in medical management of asthma, headaches, and fatigue.

Medical Clinics of North America. 2000

Developing and communicating a long-term treatment plan for asthma.

American Family Physician. 2000

Exercise-induced asthma.

Medicine & Health, Rhode Island. 2000

Why does airway inflammation persist? Is it failure to treat early?.

American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine. 2000

Interaction between the growing lung and asthma: role of early intervention.

Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. 2000

Issues in understanding childhood asthma.

Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. 2000

Gastroesophageal reflux disease in asthma: effects of medical and surgical antireflux therapy on asthma control.

Annals of Surgery. 2000

Mechanical ventilation for children with status asthmaticus.

Respiratory Care Clinics of North America. 2000

Emergency care of asthma.

Respiratory Care Clinics of North America. 2000

Ambulatory management of pediatric asthma.

Respiratory Care Clinics of North America. 2000


MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information
MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options; a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups where you can obtain additional information about the illness.

MediFocus Guides are the perfect solution for consumers who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of their medical issue and avail themselves of the same type of professional level medical information that is used by physicians and other health-care professionals to help then in the clinical decision making process.
© Copyright 2000-2001 Medifocus.com, Inc. All rights reserved.


Click here for more information.





          MediFocus MedCenter ©

                     Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
                                           (AM005)
                                         Introduction

Fatigue is a very common symptom all over the world. However, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is more than just fatigue, it is a complex of symptoms that is both prolonged (persisting longer than 6 months) and severe (associated with substantial disability).

CFS commonly affects persons (usually Caucasian women) between the ages of 20 and 50, although it may also occur in children. In one study in the United States, up to 1% of the adult population was found to have symptoms consistent with CFS. In children, the rate was closer to 2%. Symptoms may spontaneously resolve after a few years, especially in children.

CFS has become the focus of considerable research over the last decade, especially in relation to its underlying cause(s) or etiologies which are as yet unknown, although are thought to be multifactorial. Much investigation is devoted to uncovering a possible link to an infectious organism because of the typical "flu-like" beginning of CFS symptoms. There are several possible causes being investigated.

The goals of treatment are to reduce levels of fatigue and associated symptoms, to increase levels of activity, and to improve quality of life. Treatment modalities include medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and lifestyle interventions.


Get the Facts... With your MediFocus Guide
The Medifocus Guide on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:

What are the most common symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome?

Are there any recognized risk factors for developing chronic fatigue syndrome?

What kinds of medical tests are used to establish the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome?

What is the current standard of care for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome?

What treatment options are available for the management of chronic fatigue syndrome?

Are there any promising new developments or potential breakthroughs in treatment?

Who are the most notable medical authorities who specialize in chronic fatigue syndrome?

Where are the leading hospitals and centers of research for chronic fatigue syndrome?

What are the most important questions to ask my doctor about chronic fatigue syndrome?


What Your Doctor Reads:
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:

Chemical sensitivity and fatigue syndromes from hypoxia/hypercapnia.

Medical Hypotheses. 2000

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.

Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2000

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

BMJ. 2000

Review of juvenile primary fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 1999

Chronic fatigue syndrome: current concepts of pathogenesis and treatment.

Current Clinical Topics in Infectious Diseases. 1999

Report of a workshop on the epidemiology, natural history, and pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents.

Journal of Pediatrics. 1999

Chronic fatigue syndrome: reviewing the research findings.

Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 1999

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 1999

Chronic fatigue syndrome: new insights and old ignorance.

Journal of Internal Medicine. 1999

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1998

MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information
MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options; a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups where you can obtain additional information about the illness.

MediFocus Guides are the perfect solution for consumers who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of their medical issue and avail themselves of the same type of professional level medical information that is used by physicians and other health-care professionals to help then in the clinical decision making process.
© Copyright 2000-2001 Medifocus.com, Inc. All rights reserved.


Click here for more information.