All About Allergies, by Dr. Zachary Rubin (Spoiler-Free Review)

I have been excited for my friend’s book for a while now (not an ad)! If you follow me there’s a decent chance you also follow Dr. Zachary Rubin, MD for his great allergy/immunology and healthcare content! He wrote an excellent book about living with and treating allergic and immunologic disorders, and it serves as a great introduction to the science and the medicine, and where that meets life in these United States and all of its frustrations.

He talks about the history of medicine and allergy/immunology, which is interesting even if you’re not a nerd like me. But the book also goes on to be a great primer for the medicine but also the experience of having allergies or allergic and immunologic disorders.

The book discusses common allergic conditions and what we know about them, as well as the medications used to treat them. BUT he also talks about where you might run into insurance issues. He talks about how the pharmaceutical industry, which makes these lifesaving medications, is also capable of greedily manipulating costs which make things harder for patients.

He touches on how you should see those around you who may have allergies or allergic conditions. Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of that video trend where a family member or friend “forgets” about someone’s allergies and it “makes their cheeks swell” and they walk away with their pants stuffed to make their butt look huge. That’s…not really funny. Allergies can be deadly. I’m not out here policing content from people, but I hope I never see a healthcare worker doing that “joke.”

Finally, he provides great take-home points to sum up chapters, but also things you, who may be experiencing some of the things he discusses, can bring up to your doctor and how to advocate for yourself.

If you have ever wondered about how serious allergies really are, or if you’re a patient who lives with them and is wondering how to talk to your doctor, or a clinician looking for a refresher and some new learning, this is the book for you! The audiobook is great, too! Overall, it’s as quick or as detailed as it needs to be to introduce this specialty in medicine, and a great resource for patients and healthcare workers alike. Check out All About Allergies!

#Healthcare #Allergies #AllergySeason #booktok