About the Book

Food Allergies For Dummies is a practical guide to diagnosing food allergies, preventing reactions, and administering effective emergency care in the event of a severe food allergy reaction. World renowned food allergist Dr. Robert A. Wood, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has lived with his own peanut allergy his entire life. He now treats thousands of food allergy patients annually and guides parents, school administrators, and others in the proper management of food allergies.

In Food Allergies For Dummies, Dr. Wood covers food allergies from cause to cure. By the time you finish reading this book, you’ll be able to

  • Name the eight foods that cause over 90% of all food allergy reactions.
  • Spot the common symptoms of a reaction.
  • Team up with your doctor to identify the problem foods and eliminate them from your diet… without making your diet overly restrictive.
  • Realistically assess the risk of being in the same room with the problem food.
  • Decipher complex food labels to determine if any of the ingredients are problem foods.
  • Name the medications that are most effective for relieving symptoms.
  • Stop wasting money on alternative tests and therapies that have not been proven to be of any use.
  • Explore medical research to gain hope for future cures.
  • Live well with your food allergies at home, on the road, at work, at school, and wherever you choose to travel abroad.
  • Prepare for a severe reaction and know exactly what to do when a reaction occurs despite your efforts to avoid it.

In addition to providing the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information on food allergies, Food Allergies For Dummies is packed with the tools you need to proactively manage food allergies:

  • Food allergy field guides translate food label gobbledygook into plain English.
  • Tips on food preparation, handling, and cooking to keep your food safe.
  • Custom Food Allergy Emergency Action Plan lets others know exactly what to do when you experience a severe reaction and can’t help yourself.
  • Tips on working with your child’s school to prevent reactions keeps your child safe when she leaves the safe haven of your home.
  • Latest research gets you up to speed in a hurry.
  • Real life stories of food allergy sufferers reveals important lessons that everyone who has a food allergy should know.>
  • Special coverage of peanut allergy provides self-defense tips for those who deal with this most dangerous of food allergies on a daily basis.
  • Special section offers 20 allergen-free recipes for breakfast, lunch, and supper, along with a few recipes for desserts and snacks.
  • Part of Tens offers 10 Key Food Allergy Lessons for Kids, 10 Key Food Allergy Lessons for Your Child’s Caregiver, 10 Common Food Substitutions, and 10 of the Top Food Allergy Websites.

In the past five years, the number of children allergic to peanuts has doubled and the estimated number of Americans with food allergies has increased from 6 million to approximately 11 million. This no-nonsense, plain-English resource gives reassuring guidance to food allergy sufferers as well as parents of allergic children. Here, you find all the information, instructions, tips, and tools you need to effectively avoid the foods that ail you and treat unavoidable reactions.