Food Allergies: A Complete Guide, Dr. Scott H. Sicherer

Food Allergies: A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It by leading allergist, clinician and researcher in the field of food allergies, Dr. Scott H. Sicherer, is a must read and personal library necessity for every family newly diagnosed with food allergies.

Written in a question and answer format, Dr. Sicherer, as Dr Hugh Sampson’s forward states: “…has distilled these experiences here to answer virtually every possible question about food allergies, from questions you may have wondered about to, more important, many questions you should be asking.” It’s the questions that one should be asking (but often doesn't) that I often concentrate on in my food allergy counseling sessions with clients. And the ones that need some special attention. I’m thrilled that Schierer gives so many of these necessary questions a voice, in print.

Sicherer delves deep into many pertinent issues and concerns facing the food allergy community, including: the facts about the definition of a food allergy; demystifying food allergy testing methods and efficacy rates; defining anaphylaxis; chronic health problems related to food allergy like FPIES and EoE; how to successfully avoid food allergy reactions in multiple scenarios; anxiety and food allergies and adequate feeding habits; questions about food allergy resolution and prevention and discussions about cures and treatment and on going research.

One of my favorites parts of the book, and there are many, is that the discussion in Chapter 2: "What Do I Need to Tell the Doctor to Help Get a Food Allergy Diagnosis" includes the steps, tools and strategies I’ve written about in my book, Allergic Girl and that I’ve been teaching my food allergy counseling clients for years.

Mainly:

• Keeping a medical history handy of adverse food reactions and bringing with you to your doctor's appointment
• Preparing a list of questions ahead of time to bring to your appointment
• Preparing a food diary (or as he calls it a diet record) to bring to your appointment

And he adds the suggestion of bringing relevant food labels; a minor or hidden ingredient of a previously trusted food could be the reaction culprit.

No one book about any medical diagnosis can say it all, explain it all, be all about your exact food allerg situation, at all times of your life. It's not possible.  And Food Allergies: A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It is in no way a substitute for a visit to the allergist office. But 9 Food Allergies: A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It by Dr. Scott H. Sicherer is a valuable tool to educate and inform anyone with food allergies about their disease. It would also make an excellent gift for caregivers, school nurses, grandparents, spouses, etc.

Thank you Dr. Scott H. Sicherer