Allergy Your Questions Answered
Authors: Helen E. Smith and Anthony J. Frew
Back in the 1970s, the lead singer from a “one hit wonder group” reputedly developed the total allergy syndrome. Last thing I heard was that she was living in a sort of plastic bubble and alleged she was allergic to damn near everything. I remember feeling quite sorry for her and imagined she must have led a completely miserable existence.
Last year, one of my patients brought a list of foods to the surgery to which she was allegedly allergic. She had been to a well-known health food shop and submitted herself to VEGA testing. For those of you who are interested, it involves connecting the patient to an electrical machine, which measures resistance change when dilute solutions of the test substances are incorporated in a circuit. It is, of course, unmitigated clack with no scientific basis whatever. Unfortunately, my patient heeded the advice given to the letter, with the result that she went down to five stones and was promptly admitted under a section of the Mental Health Act for re-feeding.
As the title suggests, this book is in a question and answer format and is written by a GP with an interest and a Professor of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine. Considering its small size, it is remarkably comprehensive and satisfying answers are available to a wide range of patient questions covering the entire breadth of allergic problems. There are comprehensive answers to such thorny topics as “Should I get rid of the dog if my child has asthma?” and “what career advice should I be offering to a 14 year old with asthma?” There is full coverage of the management of every aspect of allergy including useful sections covering food allergy, complementary therapy, dermatitis and occupational allergy. Going out for a Chinese Meal? Then you had better read the section on Chinese restaurant syndrome. Suppose your bog standard antihistamine is ineffective for urinary – what do you do next?? Check out the answer to question 7.11, that’s what. Easy to read by both patient and professional and without complex immunological theory, this is definitely the book you need as a GP for everyday allergy problems presenting at the surgery.
Oh, and by the way…….the total allergy syndrome is not thought to have an allergic basis at all (page 23). By the sound of it, SSRIs may be a more appropriate treatment. Now there’s a surprise!
| Publisher: | Churchill Livingstone
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| ISBN 0-4430-7291-4
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| Reviewer: | Dr Jeremy M Sager GP Leeds UK.
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