Allergy Guide

"The conventional management of allergic conditions relies on suppressive drugs that often lose effectiveness over time. In this book, Dr. Elizabeth Smoots does a terrific job of explaining how to use an integrative approach that can actually help the immune system unlearn allergic reactivity. She stresses the usefulness of dietary change, natural remedies, and mind/body therapies along with the pros and cons of the standard drugs. Essential reading for anyone who suffers from allergy."
--Andrew Weil, MD

The full spectrum of allergy solutions at your fingertips: From an integrative medicine expert, a reader-friendly guide to alternative and conventional treatments for allergies such as hay fever, asthma, sinus problems, eczema and food allergies. Packed full of health tips and resources for additional learning, Allergy Guide explores your options above and beyond medications to help you alleviate your symptoms and feel well again.

With easy-to-understand explanations about alternative and conventional approaches, this book empowers you to make health care decisions that can more effectively relieve your allergies. Allergy Guide provides you with the information you need to:

• Know your options for alternative and complementary remedies for allergies and related conditions
• Be familiar with the top conventional treatments for hay fever, asthma, sinus problems, food allergies and eczema
• Utilize self care steps without leaving home to help alleviate allergy symptoms
• Understand the underlying causes of allergies
• Know what to expect during allergy diagnosis and testing
• Prevent allergies from occurring in the first place or repeatedly coming back

What if someone would sit down with you to explain the alternative and conventional treatment options for your allergic condition and answer your questions? That is what Allergy Guide aims to do. With a copy in your hand (or on your screen), you will be better equipped to care for your condition, or know what questions to ask when you visit your health care provider.

Elizabeth Smoots, MD, FAAFP, ABFM, draws on her many years of experience as a family physician and integrative medicine expert to inform readers about their options from both the alternative and conventional medical fields. She received specialized training in integrative medicine during a two-year fellowship at the renowned Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine founded by Andrew Weil, MD, at the University of Arizona. As an integrative physician, Dr. Smoots embraces therapies from both the conventional and alternative medical fields and enjoys collaborating with patients to find the right treatment mix for them. She strives to address the mind, body and spirit of her patients and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches to help them achieve optimum health.

Dr. Smoots also has a longstanding personal interest in preventive medicine and patient education. She especially enjoys educating her patients about the prevention and treatment of their medical disorders and health conditions. Her prevention and wellness articles have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, newsletters and websites, including the Harvard Health Letter, Personal Best Healthlines, TopHealth, Family Safety & Health, Medscape.com, Healthgate.com and WebMD.com. She has long written the syndicated health column Practical Prevention for newspapers in the U.S. Dr. Smoots has also designed the engaging and motivating Practical Prevention patient education program for physicians to use in educating their patients about staying healthy, fit and well.

Additionally, Dr. Smoots is author of the Smoots Guides book series. Each book in the series presents alternative and conventional solutions for common health conditions. You can read her blog, A Whole Health Life, and learn more about upcoming additions to the Smoots Guides book series at www.drsmoots.com.