TO YOUR HEALTH : BOOKS.

``Jane Brody's Allergy Fighter'' (Norton; $12.95). The widely respected health columnist for The New York Times covers the misery of nasal allergies from itchy eyes to scratchy throat to runny nose. Her compact book offers the usual suggestions for pinpointing and combating allergy triggers and the usual advice for soothing symptoms. There's a chapter on prescription drugs, but most of the book deals with self-care. A plus: Her charts on choosing and using over-the-counter remedies will eliminate some guesswork. A minus: Aside from a brief caution on the use of herbal remedies, there's little guidance in evaluating the claims of alternative therapies.

``Pregnancy Week-by-Week,'' by Jane MacDougall (HarperPerennial; $16.95). This is No. 2 in a series of well-illustrated guides designed to stand open on a tabletop like a tent. The hands-free format that made great sense for the first book, a baby-care guide, seems less important here. But the charts, graphics and compressed text are no less helpful, offering basics of prenatal care, diet, fitness, maternity clothes, common medical complaints, selecting baby equipment and more. Also, the week-by-week format offers a simple way to keep track of fetal development and changes in the mother-to-be while providing marginal space for diary notes. MacDougall is an obstetrician.

Freebies

A guide to preventing drug abuse among young people, which is based on successful anti-drug programs, is being made available to parents, teachers and community groups by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The guide contains 14 prevention principles that call for targeting all forms of drug abuse, including alcohol and tobacco.

The new guide, ``Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide,'' can be obtained free from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at [phone]. Additional information is available on the NIDA home page at http://www.nida.nih.gov.