Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms...How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective [Hardcover]

Joan Liebmann-Smith (Author), Jacqueline Egan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2007

We all notice things about our bodies that don’t seem quite right. But when are these simply harmless physical quirks and when are they signs that a visit to the doctor is in order? This comprehensive and fascinating guide covers every body part from head to toe—and everything in between—to help you decode the often mysterious messages your body sends you.

From brittle hair to hair in all the wrong places, a tingling tush, mismatched eyes, streaked nails, inverted nipples, and excessive flatulence, to name just a few, the body supplies endless signs regarding its state of health and wellness. Most of the time these require nothing more than a trip to the drugstore or cosmetic counter, or no treatment at all. At other times further attention is needed. So here’s the lowdown on what’s happening “down there,” the scoop on poop, straight talk about your joints, and a host of essential, even entertaining information on everything you ever wanted to know about your body—but might have been hesitant to ask even your doctor.

Drawn from cutting-edge research and the latest scientific literature, and vetted by a panel of medical experts, this remarkable book also includes historical trivia and fascinating factoids about each body area in question, plus an invaluable resource section. Whether you have a health concern or simply enjoy playing medical detective, Body Signs will not only absorb and inform you but will help you gain a more intimate understanding of the wondrous workings of your body.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite today's sophisticated diagnostic tools, doctors still rely on the same powers of observation they've used for hundreds of years, parsing visual and olfactory clues for information about their patients' health. In their latest collaboration (after 2005's The Unoffical Guide to Getting Pregnant), medical sociologist Liebmann-Smith and medical journalist Egan, with help from a panel of experts, discuss a huge list of garden variety symptoms like dry skin, persistent coughs, embarrassing flatulence and strange body odors, none of which are necessarily worrying, but which may indicate something more serious afoot. For example, dry eyes are easily treated with lubricants, but may signal an adverse reaction to medication or the onset of autoimmune disease; likewise, scaly red patches on the skin may signal relatively benign, squamous-cell skin cancer, but dark spots resembling moles can indicate life-threatening melanomas. Though they do not deal with children's diseases or obvious call-the-doctor-now signs like high fever and vomiting, this volume is otherwise quite thorough and packed with information, a handy and entertaining resource that fulfills its mission "to alert you, warn you, and maybe even scare you into going to the doctor... and save you the time, expense and anxiety of going" when one isn't needed.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Lively and engagingly written, Body Signs is the perfect book for people fascinated by how the human body works. Read it and you'll know what to worry about and what to ignore."—Barbara Kantrowitz, co-author of Is It Hot in Here? Or Is It Me? The Complete Guide to Menopause

"Body Signs is indispensable. It's the ultimate catalog of our bodies' quirks, symptoms, and trouble spots—and a valuable guide to telling the amusing from the alarming. Written in a calm, clear voice, it's often funny, always informative, and potentially life-saving."—Joel Gurin, former Editorial Director, Consumer Reports

"Body Signs is an exceptionally well written and topical book on health. I found it chock-full of informative and interesting tidbits, substantiated by scientific research. The book is easy to read and has something to offer for everyone. I certainly learnt some fascinating medical facts! "—Gayatri Devi, MD Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine; President, National Council on Women's Health 

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 322 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1 edition (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055380507X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553805079
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and fun, December 26, 2007

By 

justonemorething (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms...How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective (Hardcover)

This book is both fascinating and fun. The detective approach makes it a great read. There is a ton of useful information in here. The book is quite funny and very well written. If you're interested in the human body and what it's trying to tell you, there's no better book out there.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you ever wanted to know about bodily malfunctions, March 23, 2008

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms...How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective (Hardcover)

Pessimists and hypochondriacs should probably avoid "Body Signs." Anyone over the age of fifty will be horrified at the number of symptoms that are caused simply by getting old and wearing out. Too many places in the text state that "it [a particular disorder] affects people around the age of 60" or "nearly 90% of men will have this condition by the time they reach their 80s."

This book has got everything from red palms to floating poop to something called "Sister Joseph's nodule." The latter, found in the navel, "usually signifies an advanced cancer in the abdominal cavity, but the malignancy can occur in virtually any organ." Cripes! I would have thought that a body sign named after a nun would have been benign, at the very least.

It you have a symptom that you find too embarrassing to mention to your physician, "Body Signs" is a good place to check it out. The authors work their way through excrement, bladder functions, borborygmus (gurgling stomach), `flatus vaginalis' and private parts. You have the option of looking up the anatomical feature that interests you, all the way from head hair to toe nails, or reading through this book from cover to cover. Not all of the symptoms mentioned within are fatal. In fact, a few of them are indicators of ruddy good health.

Some of my favorite parts of this book are the anecdotes. Did you know that "The 16th-century German theologian Martin Luther claimed he could `drive away the evil spirit with a single f*rt" or that former President Bill Clinton has a bent...well, read "Body Signs" and find out for yourself.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belongs In Every Home, February 3, 2008

By 

Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty (Port Orford, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms...How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective (Hardcover)

"Body Signs" is one of those books which really belongs in everyone's home library. Most people have become extremely health-conscious these days, even though many do not seem to act upon the medical advice which is -- relentlessly, it seems -- thrust on us by the media and our own healthcare providers. I receive at least three e-mail health reports every day and I'm sure others do as well. Unfortunately some of the information provided is inconsistent, counterintuitive, and even contradictory, but medical research is being conducted at such a rapid pace today that this is probably to be expected. But we all want to be physically and mentally well and so it behooves us to pay attention to the latest findings and, at least, give them some consideration in our lives.

Recommendations for maintaining one's health is one thing; but what do we do when we notice that something seems not quite "right" or "normal" with our own health right now? I don't know anyone, young or old, who hasn't complained at some time about some unusual ache, sudden mysterious pain, or perceptible bodily change, and is unable to exactly identify the cause, whether or it classifies as serious or minor, temporary or chronic, or should be ignored or warrants a trip to the physician. Speaking for myself, I certainly do not want to run to my physician every time I suspect something is awry. (I should mention that I don't like such visits in the first place and definitely do not like hospitals, although I've been forced to stay in one twice in the past six years -- emergencies only, suffice to say.)

So, what to do if we need some advice about our immediate medical concerns? Well, we might turn to this book, "Body Signs," just to see if something might be serious and if it just a normal change due to age, diet, minor illness, or such. The book is premised on the idea that most of the signs of diseases and disorders can be detected by our senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. One could consider the book to be a diagnostic detective manual. Therefore, it should be understood that this is not a comprehensive "medical" reference book. It is more like a first-step checklist to determine if more information is needed about whatever condition one is experiencing. As the book points out, there are many perfectly normal and harmless physical "quirks" that we have from time to time; on the other hand, there are physical signs we can note that may indicate a serious health condition, necessitating an appointment with a health care professional or a trip to the emergency room.

"Body Signs" covers our body from tip to toe (so to speak), from our hair, to our eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, from our necks to our private parts to our feet, and lots of other areas in between. I can't think of any part of one's body that is not discussed somewhere in the text. And, to add to the value of the material itself, the authors have spread throughout the book many little boxes (rather like sidebars) with headings such as "Sign of the Times" (interesting barely-related factoids), "Significant Fact" (interesting definitely-related factoids), and "Warning Sign" (self explanatory, I would think). The book also includes three appendices: one containing a body signs review, one suggesting relevant websites and books, and one which is a "checkup checklist." Highly recommended for everyone!