The book covers all the usual allergy information, such as the basics on allergic rhinitis, contact dermatitis, and asthma, but also goes into helpful detail on other allergy-related topics.
Chapter Four, "Doctor Shopping - Dos and Don'ts", provides hints on not only finding a good doctor, but finding a doctor that is right for you and your particular allergies.
Chapter Nine, "Saving your Skin", offers suggestions on preventing problems with cosmetics (including makeup, shampoo, deodorant, etc.).
The food allergy section of The Allergy Sourcebook is very well-done. The author discusses:
- the difference between IgE-mediated food allergies and food intolerances
- contributing factors toward the development of food allergy
- allergic cross-reactions
She also lists the types of food products which contain common allergens such as milk, egg, wheat, corn, nuts, salicylates, molds, and sulfites.
An entire section (four chapters) is devoted to the subject of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. While concise, the information presented provides a clear understanding of the topic. Zellerbach discusses possible risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and how to find a specialist in environmental medicine. She offers guidelines to reduce your exposure in your home or office, and lists several "recipes" for safer household cleaning products. This is one section that I found particularly helpful, since I am trying to reduce the number of chemicals in my own home. The chapter also had a list of problem ingredients in cosmetics and offers a few alternatives.
In addition, the book also has a chapter on the efficacy of alternative therapies, used in conjuction with standard medical treatment.
I was going to offer only one small caveat about the book, which concerned the information presented about medications, since new products and dosages are introduced regularly. However, I just purchased a copy with an older copyright date - 1996. While checking online prior to submitting this article, I found that a revised, third edition of the book was released in May 2000. Presumably, some of that data has been updated.
Overall, this book is a informative and well-written resource and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in allergies.
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