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 allergies 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, but 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. However, 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, making 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.

Dr. Catherine Quéquet is an allergist. She graduated with degrees in medical journalism and communication, has been involved in the development of health websites, and is the editor of the successful French blog Objectif Allergies. She is strongly committed to transmitting medical information to doctors and the general public, mainly in the field of allergies and all specialties referring to it (ENT-Dermato-Pneumo-Ophthalmology). She has also published several popular science books, articles, and films.