Allergies Sourcebook

Basic Consumer Health Information about Allergic Disorders, Such as Anaphylaxis, Hives, Eczema, Rhinitis, Sinusitis, and Conjunctivitis, and Their Triggers, Including Pollen, Mold, Dust Mites, Animal Dander, Insects, Chemicals, Food, Food Additives, and Medications

An allergy occurs when a person's immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance, such as food, medicine, pollen, or animal dander. Allergic disorders affect more than 50 million Americans, causing symptoms that range from annoying to downright deadly, and treatment and diagnosis of allergies costs the U.S. health care system $18 billion dollars annually. Despite the high health care costs associated with allergy treatment, the prevalence of some types of allergic disorders, such as eczema and rhinitis, appears to be increasing. The good news is that in many cases, learning about allergy triggers and how to avoid them, medications, and new allergy therapies may alleviate allergy sufferers' symptoms.

Allergies Sourcebook provides information about the immune system, its role in the development of allergic disorders, and the prevalence of allergies in adults and children in the United States. Readers will learn about common types of allergic disorders, including rhinitis, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, hives, dermatitis, eczema, and life-threatening anaphylaxis, as well as allergies to latex, poisonous plants, insect stings, and medications. Information about allergies to foods and food additives is included, along with comprehensive facts about common allergy triggers, such as ragweed, mold, dust mites, cockroach allergen, animal dander, and chemicals. Facts about diagnosis, treatment, and allergy prevention are also offered, along with a glossary of related terms, a directory of government and resources, and suggestions for additional reading.