LIVING WITH YOUR ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA

Weak, sketchy coverage of common allergies and sometimes-related asthma. Medical writer Berland (Living With Your Colitis and Hemorrhoids, etc.) and allergist Fischer-Pap briefly describe how the body reacts to allergens (technically, ""contactants, inhalants, ingestants, and injectants"") and the forms allergic disease can take, from digestive disorders to skin rashes. For the rest, they concentrate on medical treatment procedures (diagnosing, allergy shots), with some cursory notes on self-treatment measures. Berland and Fischer-Pap don't seem in touch with sufferers' concerns (supposedly, ""some are ashamed because they hate to reveal anything so private and personal to another human being""); they also tend to adhere to the medical viewpoint (""treatments designed to alleviate bronchial asthma are somewhat different from those designed for chronic bronchitis. For emphysema, treatment is palliative. . .""). A patronizing attitude further obscures the material. (""You should understand that even doctors and medical writers are concerned, anxious, and somewhat fearful when told they must go to the hospital."") For more detailed, understandable advice with a solid emphasis on self-help, try either The Best Guide to Allergy (Giannini), or The Allergy Book (Dehejia).