The Complete Guide to Allergies

How do allergies work? How have they changed in the last ten or twenty years? Why do so many people suffer from and live with them? In The Complete Guide to Allergies, author and allergist Dr. Catherine Quéquet explores the world of the most common allergies and introduces readers to the strangest and newest ones that have impacted large numbers of the population in recent years. Pollen, dust mites, seafood, nut, dairy, and gluten are only the tip of the allergy iceberg. If the world of allergies were simple, it would be easy to get rid of them. However, the growing number of people suffering from allergies (40% of the population) know that it is far from being that straightforward. An allergy appears when a person with a sensitivity meets an allergen. In the polluted and hyper-consuming world in which we live, cocktail effects and risk situations multiply at any moment of the day: when we get dressed, when we sleep, when we eat, and even when we make love! The diagnoses of ear, nose, throat, dermatological, pneumopathic, or ophthalmological manifestations can turn into a real long-term enquiry in which many surprising factors intervene. Dr. Quéquet helps us understand the mechanics of many allergies and brings us the latest knowledge on the subject. She makes us think about the health issues of our way of life while also entertaining the reader with her amusing anecdotes, games, and a few allergy-free recipes. We emerge from this read with more knowledge, fewer preconceptions, and agreeably entertained.