Merck Manual of Health and Aging or Essential Energy Balancing II

Merck Manual of Health and Aging: The Complete Home Guide to Healthcare and Healthy Aging For Older People and Those Who Care About Them

Author: Mark H Beers

Home reference manual for older people and those who care about them.

Publishers Weekly

This mammoth reference book begins with the premise that "[t]he need for good, unbiased health care information runs deep, whether people are seeking to become more active in caring for themselves or others." It then goes on to provide for that need, covering all aspects of health changes through the process of aging, and explaining how to prevent or manage those changes. The book is easy to navigate and cross-reference, and includes simple but useful drawings to explain such conditions as aneurysms, heart valve disorders and pressure sores (aka bedsores). The first two sections address "the fundamentals of aging" (why aging occurs, how it affects the body and how it's changing the U.S.) and "caring for self and others," including preventive care, nutrition, appropriate use of drugs and other topics. The authors then go through an in-depth discussion of medical conditions that can affect the elderly, explaining symptoms, treatment and aftercare. This chapter supplies sound information to enhance interaction with health care providers and enable continuity of care, for both patients and caregivers. The final section covers social, legal and ethical issues and includes a guide to paying for health care and a useful reference table for prescription drugs. Twenty-five inspiring essays by seniors are sprinkled throughout the text, giving this encyclopedic text a human aspect. This excellent handbook is an essential resource for mature people, their families and caregivers. (On sale May 18) Forecast: With a recognizable name and authoritative voice, this manual speaks to both older adults and those who care for them. The publisher plans a 100,000-copy first printing, consumer ads and an extensive media tour. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

As the American population ages, the demand for current, authoritative, easy-to-read information about late-life health will intensify. In anticipation, Merck, best known for its Merck Manual and Merck Manual of Geriatrics, has prepared a guide to common age-related diseases and disorders written by experts in caring for older people. Although focusing primarily on health information and specific conditions, it covers a variety of other age-related issues: communicating with healthcare providers, long-term and end-of-life care, hospitalization, sexuality, elder abuse, driving, exercise, preventive care, and more. Charts, tables, line drawings of procedures, and marginal references to related chapters accompany the text. Additional chapters discuss the aging process and the demographics of aging. Essays by older adults along with their photos personalize the aging experience. Appendixes include a short list of organizational resources and tables of generic and trade drug names. Bottom Line More comprehensive than The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After Fifty but with fewer illustrations, this easy-to-navigate manual is an essential addition to consumer health and aging collections.-Karen Bensing, Benjamin Rose Lib., Cleveland Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Table of Contents:

Section 1	Fundamentals of Aging
1	Age-Old Questions	1
	When Does a Person Become Old?	3
	Why Does the Body Change?	4
	Why Does Function Decline?	5
2	How the Body Ages	7
	Eyes	7
	Ears	10
	Mouth and Nose	11
	Skin	11
	Bones and Joints	12
	Muscles and Body Fat	13
	Brain and Nervous System	14
	Heart and Blood Vessels	14
	Muscles of Breathing and the Lungs	15
	Digestive System	15
	Kidneys and Urinary Tract	16
	Reproductive Organs	16
	Endocrine System	17
	Immune System	18
3	The Aging of America	18
	Finances	20
	Living Arrangements	21
	Disability and Disease	22
	Causes of Death	23
	Worldwide Aging	25
Section 2	Caring for Self and Others
4	Preventive Medical Care	27
	Goals of Prevention	28
	Tools of Prevention	29
5	Maintaining Good Nutrition	35
6	Drugs and Aging	43
7	Complementary or Alternative Medicine	52
	Dietary Supplements	55
	Chiropractic	73
	Acupuncture	74
	Magnet Therapy	75
	Homeopathy	75
8	Communicating With Health Care Practitioners	78
	Selecting a Primary Care Doctor	78
	Communicating With a New Primary Care Doctor	79
	Communicating During Subsequent Visits	81
9	Continuity of Care	85
10	Understanding Medical Tests	98
	Specific Tests	104
11	Hospital Care	123
	Going to the Emergency Department	124
	Being Admitted to the Hospital	125
	Problems Due to Hospitalization	127
	Implementing Preventive Strategies	134
	Being Discharged From the Hospital	135
12	Undergoing Surgery	137
	Before an Operation	138
	At the Time of an Operation	139
	After an Operation	141
13	Rehabilitation	144
	Treatment of Pain and Inflammation	147
	Physical Therapy	148
	Occupational Therapy	153
	Speech Therapy	155
	Rehabilitation for Specific Problems	156
14	Long-Term Care	165
15	Caregiving	175
16	Palliative and End-of-Life Care	183
	Reducing Suffering	185
	Retaining Control Over Decisions	192
	Palliative Care and Hospice Care	194
	Peace and Resolution	196
Section 3	Medical Conditions
17	Nutritional Disorders	199
	Undernutrition	199
	Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies	207
	Obesity	210
18	Water and Electrolyte Balance	213
	Dehydration	214
	Overhydration	216
	Problems With Electrolyte Balance	218
19	Hypothermia and Hyperthermia	222
	Hypothermia	223
	Hyperthermia	226
20	Dizziness and Fainting	230
	Dizziness	230
	Fainting	239
21	Falls	247
22	Osteoporosis	254
23	Fractures	268
	Hip Fractures	276
	Compression Fractures of the Spine	280
	Shoulder Fractures	282
	Wrist Fractures	283
24	Pain	284
25	Confusion	296
26	Delirium	300
27	Dementia	306
	Alzheimer's Disease	319
	Vascular Dementia	322
	Lewy Body Dementia	324
28	Stroke	325
29	Nerve Disorders	341
	Trigeminal Neuralgia	341
	Postherpetic Neuralgia	344
	Neuropathies	345
	Postpolio Syndrome	349
30	Movement Disorders	351
	Myoclonus	351
	Dystonia	354
	Tardive Dyskinesia and Akathisia	356
	Essential Tremor	357
	Parkinson's Disease	360
	Progressive Supranuclear Palsy	367
	Shy-Drager Syndrome	369
31	Sleep	371
	Insomnia	374
	Excessive Daytime Sleepiness	379
	Limb Movement Disorders	379
	Sleep Apnea	382
	REM Sleep Behavior Disorder	384
	Circadian Rhythm Disorders	384
	Other Sleep Disorders	385
32	Mental Health Disorders	386
	Depression	386
	Anxiety	396
	Psychosis	400
33	Thyroid Disorders	405
	Hypothyroidism	407
	Hyperthyroidism	410
	Thyroid Nodules	412
34	Diabetes Mellitus	414
35	Skin Disorders	430
	Dry Skin	432
	Itching	433
	Rosacea	434
	Seborrheic Dermatitis	437
	Shingles	438
	Pressure Sores	442
	Venous Ulcers	448
36	Eye Disorders	450
	Cataract	451
	Glaucoma	455
	Age-Related Macular Degeneration	458
	Diabetic Retinopathy	460
	Disruptions of Blood Supply	462
	Retinal Tears and Detachment	465
	Disorders of Tear Production	466
	Eyelid Disorders	467
37	Hearing and the Ear	470
	Hearing Loss	471
	Tinnitus	480
	Earwax	482
38	Nose and Throat Disorders	483
	Rhinitis	486
	Sinusitis	489
	Voice Disorders	491
39	Mouth and Dental Disorders	495
	Tooth Decay	495
	Periodontal Disease	499
	Dry Mouth	501
	Tooth Loss	504
	Burning Mouth Syndrome	506
	Mouth Sores	506
40	Foot Disorders	509
	Corns and Calluses	509
	Bunion	511
	Hammer Toe	513
	Heal or Arch Pain	514
	Onychauxis and Onychogryphosis	516
	Onychomycosis	517
41	Arthritis	518
	Osteoarthritis	519
	Rheumatoid Arthritis	524
	Gout	530
	Pseudogout	534
	Infectious Arthritis	536
42	Temporal Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica	537
43	High Blood Pressure	542
44	Blood Vessel Disorders	551
	Atherosclerosis	553
	Peripheral Arterial Disease	560
	Aortic Dissection	566
	Aneurysms	568
	Varicose Veins	573
	Superficial Thrombophlebitis	575
	Deep Vein Thrombosis	577
45	Coronary Artery Disease	582
46	Heart Failure	604
47	Abnormal Heart Rhythms	617
	Premature Beats	627
	Atrial Flutter and Atrial Fibrillation	628
	Ventricular Tachycardia	631
	Ventricular Fibrillation	632
	Sinus Bradycardia and Sick Sinus Syndrome	633
	Heart Block	635
48	Heart Valve Disorders	636
	Aortic Stenosis	642
	Aortic Regurgitation	644
	Mitral Stenosis	646
	Mitral Regurgitation	647
49	Blood Disorders	648
	Anemia	649
	Low Platelet Count	655
	Clotting Disorders	657
	Thrombocythemia	663
	Polycythemia Vera	665
	Myelofibrosis	668
50	Finding and Living With Cancer	670
	Screening	672
	Recognizing the Warning Signs	673
	Confirming the Diagnosis and Staging	675
	Guidelines for Treatment	676
	Living With Cancer	678
51	Cancers	682
	Breast Cancer	682
	Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia	689
	Colorectal Cancer	692
	Lung Cancer	696
	Mouth, Head, and Neck Cancers	701
	Multiple Myeloma	703
	Prostate Cancer	706
	Skin Cancer	712
	Vulvar Cancer	714
52	Pneumonia and Influenza	717
	Pneumonia	717
	Influenza	721
53	Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	725
54	Swallowing and Reflux Disorders	734
	Dysphagia	736
	Gastroesophageal Reflux	743
55	Bowel Movement Disorders	749
	Constipation	749
	Diarrhea	755
	Fecal Incontinence	759
56	Urinary Tract Infections	762
57	Urinary Incontinence	768
58	Female Genital and Sexual Disorders	778
	Inflammation of the Vulva and Vagina	781
	Vulvar Pain	782
	Skin Disorders of the Vulva	782
	Vaginal Bleeding	784
	Pelvic Support Disorders	785
	Decreased Sexual Drive	788
59	Male Genital and Sexual Disorders	791
	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia	792
	Prostatitis	795
	Inguinal Hernia	797
	Erectile Dysfunction	799
	Decreased Sex Drive	804
	Retrograde Ejaculation	804
60	Exercise	805
	Why Exercise?	806
	Starting to Exercise	807
	Types of Exercise	809
	Exercise for People With a Disorder	811
Section 4	Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues
61	Coping With Change	819
	Life-Changing Events	820
	Staying Connected	824
62	Driving	826
	Crash Rates and Traffic Violations	826
	The Reasons for Problems	827
	Ways of Compensating	828
	A Driving Decision	830
63	Intimacy	832
	Intimacy and Long-Term Relationships	832
	Intimacy and Dating	834
	Intimacy and Sex	836
	Intimacy and Dementia	837
	Intimacy and Families	838
	Intimacy and Privacy	840
	Intimacy in Gay Relationships	840
	Intimacy in Other Relationships	841
64	Mistreatment	843
65	Understanding Legal and Ethical Issues	847
	Informed Consent	848
	Confidentiality	849
	Capacity	849
	Competency	850
	Advance Directives	851
	Surrogates	854
66	Paying for Health Care	854
	Medicare	855
	Medicaid	862
	Private Insurance	862
	Understanding Managed Care	864
	Appendixes
	Drug Names: Generic and Trade	869
	Resources for Help and Information	881
	Index

Interesting book: Java Generics and Collections or Junos Enterprise Routing

Essential Energy Balancing II: Healing the Goddess, Vol. 2

Author: Diane Stein

In this follow-up to Essential Energy Balancing, best-selling author Diane Stein explains how to continue the process of releasing the karma of this lifetime and past lifetimes. Through 24 individual processes, including "Connection with the Light" and "Vibrational Sealing," readers learn to let go of karmic baggage, not just here on Earth but throughout the universe, in order to enjoy the full potential of their soul's energy. She delves into the origins of human creation, the existence of evil, the importance of energy protection, ways to heal soul damage, karmic contracts, and the "galactic cord." The author shows how to connect with the Goddess, understood here as the soul's highest expression.