Irritated
On sale
23rd April 2026
Price: £22
‘This book is an absolute joy. Easy to read, it takes you on a journey covering all the important angles. I will be recommending it to my patients who want to better understand their allergies.’ Adam Fox OBE, professor of paediatric allergy and Chair of the National Allergy Strategy
Do you live with a constantly runny nose, an itchy throat and sore eyes? Maybe you have eczema or get rashes from contact with allergens? Perhaps you or your children carry emergency adrenaline because an allergic reaction could be life-threatening? If so, you’re definitely not alone: between a third and half of all UK adults will experience allergies at some point during their lifetime and the numbers are rising. We are more allergic now than we have been at any other time in history.
* Peanut or tree nut allergy now runs at 1 in 70 children, versus 1 in 250 in 1997
* Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis went up 174 per cent in the UK between 1998 and 2018
* Around 21 million people have allergies in this country, but we have fewer than 80 adult and paediatric allergy specialist doctors
* Children who grow up in deprived households are more likely to have allergies, asthma and eczema and for their symptoms to be severe
* More than 80 per cent of people living with allergies say that it adversely affects their mental health
Irritated looks at why allergies have become so prevalent in recent years and asks whether there is anything we can do to stop more people developing them and help those who already have allergies to cope. Journalist Rebecca Seal writes about the difference between allergies and intolerances, the role of gut health and microbes in the development of allergies, how deprivation increases the risk of allergies and can make the experience of having them much worse, and offers practical strategies for managing both allergy symptoms and the anxiety which can come with them.
Allergy is a complex and under-funded area of medicine, and there are few books out there to support families and adults living with allergies. This book provides the answers and information that people with allergies need, while making the science accessible and easy to understand.
Do you live with a constantly runny nose, an itchy throat and sore eyes? Maybe you have eczema or get rashes from contact with allergens? Perhaps you or your children carry emergency adrenaline because an allergic reaction could be life-threatening? If so, you’re definitely not alone: between a third and half of all UK adults will experience allergies at some point during their lifetime and the numbers are rising. We are more allergic now than we have been at any other time in history.
* Peanut or tree nut allergy now runs at 1 in 70 children, versus 1 in 250 in 1997
* Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis went up 174 per cent in the UK between 1998 and 2018
* Around 21 million people have allergies in this country, but we have fewer than 80 adult and paediatric allergy specialist doctors
* Children who grow up in deprived households are more likely to have allergies, asthma and eczema and for their symptoms to be severe
* More than 80 per cent of people living with allergies say that it adversely affects their mental health
Irritated looks at why allergies have become so prevalent in recent years and asks whether there is anything we can do to stop more people developing them and help those who already have allergies to cope. Journalist Rebecca Seal writes about the difference between allergies and intolerances, the role of gut health and microbes in the development of allergies, how deprivation increases the risk of allergies and can make the experience of having them much worse, and offers practical strategies for managing both allergy symptoms and the anxiety which can come with them.
Allergy is a complex and under-funded area of medicine, and there are few books out there to support families and adults living with allergies. This book provides the answers and information that people with allergies need, while making the science accessible and easy to understand.
Reviews
'Brava! I only wish this book had been available 30 years ago. This is staggeringly informative and an absolute essential for anyone dealing with allergies, life threatening or otherwise.' Giorgio Locatelli, chef, TV presenter and allergy parent
'Irritated is one of the most clear-eyed, science-forward accounts I've read of the allergy epidemic. By weaving immunology, microbiome science and social context, Rebecca Seal shows how modern environments shape immune development, and why prevention must begin early in life.' Professor Jack Gilbert, microbiome scientist, UC San Diego School of Medicine
'Rather than panicking about how best to support ourselves and our families when it comes to allergies, Rebecca's fact-filled, widely researched book is a mega manifesto with actionable questions and empowered prompts to ask of our specialists and institutions. With a third of the population affected, whether we are directly touched by allergies or not, certainly someone we love is and it's, therefore, vital we should all understand how to take care of each other as a society.' Melissa Hemsley, author of Sunday Times bestseller Real Healthy: Unprocess your diet with easy everyday recipes
'This book is an absolute joy. Easy to read, it takes you on a journey covering all the important angles. It's full of stories and a range of diverse views, rather than being too heavy on science, which is still in there and very clearly explained. I will be recommending it to my patients who want to better understand their allergies.'
Adam Fox OBE, professor of paediatric allergy and Chair of the National Allergy Strategy Group
'Written with exceptional care, clarity and compassion, Irritated demystifies food allergies through rigorous, science-backed insight combined with the deep empathy that allergic disease deserves. Clear, empowering and meticulously detailed, it's an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the everyday reality of allergic disease.' Lucy Upton, leading UK children's dietitian and author of The Ultimate Guide to Children's Nutrition