EFA Book on Respiratory Allergies

The statistics speak for themselves: 1 in every 2 Europeans will suffer from an allergy by 2015, but what’s worse is that their chronic condition is very likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. This is the message of the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Association (EFA) to the European Parliament yesterday during the launch of its new book on respiratory allergies. Allergies and asthma are the most common chronic diseases in Europe: 113 million people suffer from allergic rhinitis and 68 million from allergic asthma, and both chronic conditions are on a steady rise.

The crux of EFA’s book is the wealth of information collected through a comprehensive survey sent to EFA member associations on the state of allergies across the EU. The President of EFA, Mrs Breda Flood introduced the book as “the first part of a 4 year allergy awareness project to create better public awareness of respiratory allergies and their unmet needs, and bring policy makers, the medical community and the public to treat these conditions as a major public health challenge.” The results reveal the loopholes and inequalities in prevention, diagnosis and management of respiratory allergies.

You can download the EFA Book on Respiratory Allergies here.

Source: EFA Press Release “A breath of fresh air: New data on the most common and underestimated chronic disease in the EU - respiratory allergies”, 25 Nov 2011, www.efanet.org

Understanding Asthma. Jon Ayres, (Family Doctor Publications Ltd., 2008, £4.95). ISBN 978-1-903474-23-X. Reviewed by F. H. Falcone, University of Nottingham, UK

The Author of this volume is Jon Ayres, Professor of Environmental and Respiratory Medicine at the University of Birmingham, where he is Director of the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He has published over 300 original journal articles, reviews and editorials and has worked as a Government advisor on air pollution for over 20 years.

Family Doctor Books is a series of small books about various health related issues which in the UK can be purchased in Pharmacies or book retailers. The volume entitled ‘Understanding asthma’ has 132 pages. It is pocket book format and comes with a transparent protective sleeve.

The book is divided into 12 short sections, followed by a short Q&A, useful addresses in the UK and a useful index. There are also references to websites which may also be of use to individuals not resident in the UK. A short section on successful web search strategies may be useful to people with limited IT experience. After a short description of the nature of asthma, where it is made clear that ‘asthma’ just like ‘cancer’ is not a single disease, but a term covering a multitude of patterns, the mechanisms and triggers underlying asthma are explained. Common triggers such as pets, exercise or sensitivity to pollen are explained using various case histories. This section is followed by a description of symptoms and diagnostic techniques or devices. Probably the most important section is the one on drugs used for treatment and asthma. This section covers the use of oral and inhaled steroids, bronchodilators, sodium cromoglycate, theophyllines and briefly mentions Xolair. The various devices for inhalation are described and explained. The following section on Asthma control will also be important to asthma sufferers. This section contains details on what to do in case of an asthma attack, an example of an asthma diary and different asthma management plans.

Overall, the language is very accessible and completely free of medical jargon. The illustrations support the explanations and are simply, but well-illustrated and in full colour. ‘Understanding Asthma’ by Professor Jon Ayres is a very valuable resource for individuals who have recently been diagnosed with asthma, as it will give them essential, authoritative information including practical tips to help them cope with their own or their relatives’ condition, for a very small price tag. As such it is highly recommended.

Allergy Explosion. Jo Revill, (Kyle Cathie Ltd., 2007, £8.99). ISBN 978-1-85626-730-4. Reviewed by F. H. Falcone, University of Nottingham, UK

Allergy has dramatically increased in many industrialised countries throughout the world in the past decades. In the UK, it is now the commonest chronic disease. Every fourth UK child has hayfever, and other forms of allergic disease such as asthma, eczema, food allergy have also increased. Worryingly, the severity and complexity of allergic disease has also increased. As a result, many if not most families will in some way be affected by allergy. On the other hand, several reports have described the unsatisfactory provision of healthcare for allergy sufferers in the UK. Finally, there is a booming market for so-called alternative diagnostic methods, particularly in the difficult sector of food allergy. Many of these methods are expensive, without any scientific basis, and a waste of money at best. Hence, there is a real need (and a market) for books dealing with the complex topic of allergy, its diagnosis and management, in a way which is helpful for the non-medically or scientifically qualified public seeking orientation in how to manage allergy at a very practical level.

Jo Revill, Whitehall Editor at the Observer, has worked as Health correspondent and Health Editor for several newspapers, including the Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and the Observer, and was awarded the title ‘Medical Journalist of the Year’ by the British Medical Journalists’ Association. Her book has 192 pages and is organised in three main sections and a total of 13 chapters. While part one aims to introduce what allergy is, why it is increasing and how it can be avoided, part two describes various forms of allergic disease, such as hayfever, food allergy, asthma, eczema and contact hypersensitivity. Finally, part three describes diagnosis and therapy of allergy, including so-called alternative or complementary therapies.

The first, short section aims to explain what allergy is and why it is on the increase. This is clearly the weakest section of the book. IgE wasn’t discovered in 1911, ringworm is not a parasitic worm (it is a fungal skin infection) and T cells do not change into plasma cells that secrete antibodies. Chapter 1 does not follow a clear logical structure and, as the previous examples show, is riddled with mistakes (there are more). Certainly these mistakes could have been picked up by any Immunologist or Allergist skimming through this chapter. Also, this part would have benefited from including a few diagrams illustrating key aspects. The whole book has only one figure showing the very simplified anatomy of the lungs, and this figure is neither particularly good nor helpful. Overall, the book is characterised by a consistent lack of a logical structure at the level of the individual chapters and subheadings. For example, chapter 3 starts with lifestyle and diet of pregnant mothers, then mentions the importance of the date of birth, before talking about pets, breastfeeding, probiotics, fatty acids, peanut allergy, unpasteurised milk, oils and creams, antibiotics, hygiene and house dust mites. Although this chapter as a whole ticks most of the right boxes, the order in which this is done seems almost random. The same can be said about the book as a whole. It reads more like a collection of loose articles (each containing snippets of useful information) about the general topic of allergy than a well-structured, thorough and authoritative coverage of a complex and important health topic.

Does the book have redeeming qualities? The short answer is: yes. ‘Allergy Explosion’ contains much information that will be useful for people affected by allergy in one or more of its many forms, including a list of useful websites. Unfortunately the book is written with the UK market in mind and as such has less to offer in terms of useful links for non-British citizens. However, despite its weaknesses (and the reviewer’s suggestion would be to skip parts of the first chapter), this book may help the reader take very practical decisions. Is it safe to have pets in a home with small children? What should a pregnant mother eat or avoid? Can herbs help asthma, and is hair analysis going to help find out what I am allergic to? How can I manage my child’s (or my own) asthma?. It is at this level that the book is worth reading.