How long ago were you feeling pressure in your chest and thinking it was most likely acidity? Or woke up to another headache after a series of sleepless nights in front of a computer? Or have been feeling tired all week and thought you were stressed? We have all done something similar at one point. We are extremely skilled at coming up with excuses whenever our body sends us a signal. There always has to be a reason, an explanation, a justification.

The Body Alarm by Dr. Aakanksha Gupta is a book that tells you not to do this anymore. It does not try to scare you, but on the contrary, offers you a practical, realistic and informative insight into what your body really needs you to know and when.                   

Her book starts off with a chapter entitled, "The Beautiful Chaos of Being Human." As soon as you turn the first page, you get the feeling that you are not reading a typical textbook. She describes the human body as a wonderful and hilarious combination. A body that rumbles, creaks, and jerks all the time. Nighttime leg cramps, inexplicable eye twitches, and the stomachs make sounds as if they are sending messages via Morse code. Her sense of humor gets your attention, and she drives home her point. Your body is never at rest. All the time, it keeps on talking. But we have no idea how to tune into the message.

She describes this idea as body literacy, which she defines as the art of paying attention to how your body feels without being overly worried about it. She then explains this concept by dividing it into three aspects. These are awareness, interpretation, and response. To put it simply, awareness is recognizing a sensation, while interpretation is discerning whether that sensation warrants action. And finally, there’s response - knowing how to respond to the sensation.

The next section covers the entire body - from head to toe. That’s when things get exciting.

Did you know that yellowish whites in your eyes could be an indication of early liver problems? Did you know that a sudden drooping eyelid may require immediate medical intervention? Have you heard that forehead lines that appear earlier than usual in young people may be related to an increased risk of heart disease? Have you been aware that a loss of your ability to smell, even post-virus, may be indicative of neurological problems? There are so many instances in this book when you find yourself thinking, "I had no idea!" and asking, "Why was I never told about this?" This is what she does well. At no point in this book will she lead you to believe that every single symptom signals a looming disaster. She makes it abundantly clear when describing which symptoms are normal and which require your attention. It is one thing to hear ringing in your ears from listening to loud music at a concert. It is another if this ringing happens in intervals and grows progressively louder over weeks.

She talks about a concept called the normalcy bias, in which the human brain convinces itself that things are okay despite physical signs suggesting otherwise. She mentions the productivity paradox, the quintessential Indian trait of pushing oneself while ill, because taking time off would amount to failure or weakness. There is the faith fallacy, the insurance illusion, the Google effect, and all sorts of self-deceptions that keep us from properly focusing on our own health. All this will only remind you of yourself.

The book features real-life cases. For instance, the story of a finance director who disregarded the chest tightness symptoms as a result of the workout and almost died from cardiac arrest. There was a young professional lady who attributed her tiredness to burnout, but she was actually experiencing a hormonal stress reaction. These are not exaggerations made to emphasize the points made by the author. They are common incidents that occur daily among people who simply ignore signs because they are either too busy, optimistic or embarrassed to check. I believe that the chapter on the mouth is enough reason to read this entire book. Most of us probably never considered our mouths as an indicator of our health. However, Dr. Gupta shows how the tongue, teeth, gums and breath can give important clues about one's liver, kidney, nutritional and immune system conditions, way before any blood test shows anything.

The bottom line is that this book provides you with a solid connection between yourself and your body. It helps you decide whether to brush something aside, observe it for a while, or contact a doctor immediately. This is really helpful. In a country where people tend to react only when the situation becomes critical, it is essential to learn to recognize these signals. It is not about fear; it is a book about paying attention. And paying attention may actually be the most important aspect of good health.

Read more by ordering your copy here.