Respiratory allergy is constantly encountered and is sharply on the rise, particularly in the two most vulnerable age-groups: young children and seniors. Allergy results in airway hyperactivity and increased airway resistance, with all inflammatory sequelae being ensued. The chapters show how respiratory allergy research is interconnected with other disciplines by discussing neurotransmitter, membrane receptor, and ionic channel mechanisms of allergy and by giving diagnostic and pharmacological cues on desensitization and therapy.
More than 50 million Americans, one out of five, suffer from hay fever, asthma, and other allergic diseases. Many of these conditions are caused by exposure to allergens in indoor environments such as the house, work, and schoolâ€"where we spend as much as 98 percent of our time. Developed by medical, public health, and engineering professionals working together, this unique volume summarizes what is known about indoor allergens, how they affect human health, the magnitude of their effect on various populations, and how they can be controlled. The book addresses controversies, recommends research directions, and suggests how to assist and educate allergy patients, as well as professionals. Indoor Allergens presents a wealth of information about common indoor allergens and their varying effects, from significant hay fever to life-threatening asthma. The volume discusses sources of allergens, from fungi and dust mites to allergenic chemicals, plants, and animals, and examines practical measures for their control. Indoor Allergens discusses how the human airway and immune system respond to inhaled allergens and assesses patient testing methods, covering the importance of the patient's medical history and outlining procedures and approaches to interpretation for skin tests, in vitro diagnostic tests, and tests of patients' pulmonary function. This comprehensive and practical volume will be important to allergists and other health care providers; public health professionals; specialists in building design, construction, and maintenance; faculty and students in public health; and interested allergy patients.
Diseases of the Sinuses: A Comprehensive Textbook of Diagnosis and Treatment, 2nd Edition, offers the definitive source of information about the basic science of the sinuses and the clinical approach to sinusitis. Since the widely praised publication of the first edition, understanding of sinus disease has changed dramatically, mainly as a result of recent developments and new discoveries in the field of immunology. This updated and expanded edition is divided into sections addressing, separately, the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, medical and surgical management of acute and chronic rhinosinusitis. Special entities such as autoimmune-related sinusitis, allergy and sinusitis, and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease are discussed in separate chapters. The role of immunodeficiency is also addressed. The management section has been fully updated to incorporate new medical modalities and surgical procedures. Developed by a distinguished group of international experts who share their expertise and insights from years of collective experience in treating sinus diseases, the book will appeal to anyone who has an interest in sinus disease, including both physicians and allied health professionals. Internists, pediatricians, allergists, otolaryngologists and infectious disease specialists will find the book to be an invaluable, comprehensive reference. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners who work with specialists who treat sinus disease will also benefit from the book.
The Second Edition of Asthma and COPD: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Management continues to provide a unique and authoritative comparison of asthma and COPD. Written and edited by the world's leading experts, it continues to be a comprehensive review of the most recent understanding of the basic mechanisms of both conditions, specifically comparing their etiology, pathogenesis, and treatments. * Each chapter considers Asthma and COPD in side-by-side contrast and comparison – not in isolation - in the context of mechanism, triggers, assessments, therapies, and clinical management * Presents the latest and most comprehensive understandings of the mechanisms of inflammation in both Asthma and COPD * Most extensive reference to primary literature on both Asthma and COPD in one source. * Easy-to-read summaries of the latest advances alongside clear illustrations
This reference presents investigations into the role of respiratory infections in protecting against allergy and asthma development, the activation of airway inflammation, and exacerbations of asthma--exploring cellular and molecular mechanisms, as well as factors including genetics, the environment, and allergen exposure.
This text assesses the role of dendritic cells, T and B lymphocytes, epithelial and mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, and their products in the initiation and progression of airway inflammation, regulation, and repair. It unveils advances in immunology and cell biology to generate new therapeutic regimens for inflammatory and aller
Asthma is a disease which, beginning in the 1980s, increased in the United States and other countries in both its prevalence and mortality. According to reports by the Center for Disease Control, the number of people with asthma increased by 42% in the last decade, with children, ethnic minorities and the urban poor being most at risk. Timely research on the causes and mechanisms behind the dramatic increase of asthma in the United States and other nations-to epidemic proportions-is presented in this volume. Investigators heading up eight research groups in asthma and/or allergy present their most recent findings, funded by the Center for Indoor Air Research. In addition to the work underway and discussions/suggestions on present research problems, ASTHMA: Causes and Mechanisms of an Epidemic Inflammatory Disease provides a chapter on the causes of asthma-and the reasons for its recent spread, so hotly discussed in the current literature. Researchers in the fields of asthma and allergy, health care providers, and others who follow research in either of these two developing areas will benefit from this book. The book is written at the level of one investigator to another.
