Johns Hopkins Press Health Book

A practical guide to documenting your decisions and preferences in case of incapacitating illness. It won't happen to me. I'm too busy to worry about a living will. My family will know what to do. No one wants to plan for incapacitating illness or death. But to spare loved ones from needless emotional suffering, or even legal battles, people of all ages need to document and communicate clear decisions about the final details of their lives while they are healthy and have time to fully consider their own values and preferences. Here, Drs. David Doukas and William Reichel help individuals make decisions and communicate their wishes to health care providers and family members and other loved ones. They use a question-and-answer format to guide readers through the process-emphasizing the crucial connection between values and treatment preferences. They explain advance directives and the health care decision-making process, including the values history, family covenants, proxies, and proxy negation. The appendix includes resources and web links for learning about advance directive requirements and obtaining legal forms in all fifty states. This practical guide helps people navigate the intimidating but important process of thinking about, and planning for, an uncertain future.

This concise and accessible guide to modern healthcare explains, the 10 rules of medical decision-making and when to break them. With so many medical tests and treatments to consider and so much information out there-some of it contradictory-it can be difficult to know what's right for you. In Get Inside Your Doctor's Head, Dr. Phillip K. Peterson explains the Ten Rules of Internal Medicine. Using real case examples, Peterson shows how following these commonsense rules will help you make better decisions about your medical care. Get Inside Your Doctor's Head provides advice about when to seek treatment, when to get another opinion, and when to let time take its course. Using the Ten Rules can help you communicate more effectively with doctors and help you weigh their recommendations. As with all rules, there are occasional exceptions-and when evidence suggests that you are an exception, the relevant rule should be broken. Follow the Ten Rules to make decisions in the increasingly complicated medical world when you need guidance about health matters for yourself and your loved ones.

A "well written and easily comprehended" guide to the microbes in our midst-and how to protect kids from infections (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal). We're all too aware that the world is full of germs-viruses old and new, parasites, fungi, bacteria that sometimes evolve into antibiotic-resistant superbugs. But the truth is that while infections are harmful, not all germs are bad. In fact, some of them we can't live without. In this book a pediatrician who specializes in infectious diseases gives parents the clear information they need to keep their families healthy-without panicking or going overboard. Dr. Athena P. Kourtis sorts through topics including antibiotics, vaccines, hygiene, health foods, and home remedies, and identifies which rules to follow-and which ones to ignore. She says: • No to overprotecting your children from germs • No to antimicrobial soaps and cleaning products at home • No to over-prescribed antibiotics • Yes to strategic hand washing • Yes to being conscious of germs and the pathways they use • Yes to vaccines She offers tips for protecting children at home, in school, at meals, on the playground, on trips, while playing sports-and answers questions that commonly worry parents. How many times should you wash prewashed spinach? (At least twice.) Does getting enough sleep help fight infection? (Yes.) Are pre-sliced foods more likely to spread infection? (They are.) This comprehensive guide is the first step in helping you and your child stay afloat in the microbial sea.

A comprehensive guide to the mental condition by the author of the bestselling book Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families. Depression is a mood disorder that affects one in ten Americans in any given year. At one time too stigmatized to be mentioned in polite conversation, depression is now discussed frankly in the media, and advertisements for drug therapy appear everywhere. The third edition of this widely acclaimed book reflects changes in how mood disorders are thought about, and how they are treated. Dr. Francis Mark Mondimorehere explains depression-its causes and symptoms, and its treatment. He discusses depression in all age groups and in both sexes, as well as bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorders, and depression that accompanies illness. This edition encompasses more than a decade of new research, advances in pharmacology, and changes in public perception. The past ten years have seen the release of new forms of the major antidepressants as well as other promising new avenues in pharmaceutical treatments. For example, "atypical" or "second generation" antidepressants, such as venlafaxine and duloxetine, provide different ways of manipulating the chemical systems in the brain concerned with mood. And there have been significant advances in the use of MAO inhibitors, now available in patch form. Dr. Mondimore reviews these and other pharmacological therapies as part of a comprehensive approach to treatment that includes psychotherapy, family and community support, and lifestyle changes. Full of information compassionately presented, this guide provides hope and help to patients and their families.

Hysterectomy is the second most common major surgical procedure performed on women in the United States. For some women, the decision to have a hysterectomy is an easy one; for others, it is a difficult choice associated with concerns about risks, discomfort, and female identity. Yet many disorders of the uterus-fibroid tumors, uterine and cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and uterine prolapse-may require surgical treatment. In this thoroughly updated edition of Hysterectomy: Exploring Your Options, gynecologists Edward E. Wallach, Esther Eisenberg, Isabel Green, and Stacey A. Scheib describe and explain every aspect of the procedure, including: • Symptoms of gynecological disorders that may require uterine fibroid removal or hysterectomy • The full range of diagnostic and therapeutic imaging techniques, including MRI-focused ultrasound • Thorough explanations of specific alternative measures that may be used to avoid the need for hysterectomy • The various techniques for hysterectomy, including single-incision surgery and robotic hysterectomy • How to prepare for surgery and what to expect while in the hospital • Details on the surgery and postoperative recovery, including information about pain medications, when to resume daily activities, how sexual function may be affected, future reproductive possibilities, and the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy • Included in this compassionate, comprehensive guide to treatment and recovery for women having-or deciding whether to have-a hysterectomy are stories of women whose own experiences with hysterectomy offer useful advice for anyone considering the procedure.

In The Ear Book, Drs. Thomas J. Balkany and Kevin D. Brown, recognized experts on ears and hearing, explain how the anatomy of the ear facilitates hearing and balance and then examine the causes, symptoms, and treatment of common problems of the outer, middle, and inner ear. Their explanations take the mystery out of hearing aids, the proper care of ears, and how the pressurized conditions of scuba diving and air travel affect the ears. And they debunk ear-related myths-from the notion that exposure to loud noise strengthens the ear to the idea that tinnitus can be cured with nutrients-and urge readers to stop using ear candling or Q-tips to get rid of wax. Drs. Balkany and Brown address such common questions as: Can dizziness be cured? How loud is too loud? Why do my ears ring? Do cochlear implants work for nerve deafness? What promise do innovations in gene therapy and stem cell therapy hold for the future? Fully illustrated and including helpful tables, hearing preservation tips, a glossary of terms, lists of ear medications and resources, and suggestions for further reading, The Ear Book is sure to be a welcome family guide.