Twenty per cent of the French population suffer from allergies: asthma, rhinitis, eczema, conjunctivitis, as well as allergies to food and medication. The number of allergens (agents responsible for allergies) that we are exposed to is constantly growing (pollens, dust mites, peanuts, etc.) and they are not always easy to identify. Patients suffering from allergies are often forced to put up with encumbering forms of treatment.

The aim of this book is to give the reader a better understanding of allergies in general and to review the different forms of treatment that are available today. This information is provided in three parts:

1. Allergies. Why are some people allergic? What are the biological mechanisms of allergies? What is the difference between sensitivity and allergy? What are the known allergens? What tests are available?
2. Medicine and allergies. What are the different allergic illnesses known today? What forms of treatment are offered by medical specialists (allergists, lung specialists, dermatologists, and eye-ear-and-nose specialists)? How can allergies be prevented?
3. Alternative medicine and allergies. What is the role of alternative medicine in treating allergies? How can homeopathy, as well as herbal medicine, complement classical forms of treatment?

According to the authors, for both practical and safety reasons (some allergies can be fatal), classical forms of treatment should interact with alternative forms, for the two can be complementary.


Bernard Chemouny is the author of Guide de l’Homéopathy. Bernard Poitevin is a doctor and allergist.