Everything hurts.

Your belly is bloated, your eyes are bloodshot, you’re nauseous, your skin feels hot, and your head might explode. Even your hair hurts and you’re about to go back to bed. But should you? First, peek inside “Am I Dying?! By Christopher Kelly, M.D., M.S., and Marc Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.C.C. and know if chillin’ when you’re illin’ is the right plan of action.

You were fine yesterday. Overnight, not so much; you woke with a weird bunch of symptoms that make you wonder just how sick you really are. Is this just a bug of some sort, or should you be worried?

That, says Kelly and Eisenberg, is their patients’ No. 1 concern: “should you freak out or chill out? Are you acting like a hypochondriac or being totally reasonable?” Is it a good idea to look online for information, or will that just muddy your thoughts?

Starting with everything above your shoulders, Kelly and Eisenberg methodically take a look at what’s ailing your noggin and neck. How bad should a headache get before you call 9-1-1? What if you’re having trouble sleeping, or you got beaned in the noggin by a ball, can’t sleep, or simply cannot stay awake?

Moving down, if your chest hurts just a little but it goes away and doesn’t come back, you might be able to wait. Same if you just chugged two cups of coffee and your heart’s racing. But there are big symptoms that indicate a trip to the ER is an absolute must so know what to look out for, and get going.

If you just got done eating a big bowl of bean soup, washed down with a soda you drank through a straw, you can “chill” if you’re feeling bloated. Severe abdominal pain, think: ER. Nausea plus vertigo is a yellow-light, so make an appointment with your doctor. Add headache, get in the car. Suddenly swollen joints? Go to the ER. Excessive temperature? Go. Fever and “purplish blisters on your skin”? Go. Loss of consciousness, heavy blood loss, tarry stool? Go, go, and go (but do not drive yourself)!

In their introduction, authors Kelly and Eisenberg remind readers that this book is just a book and “When in doubt, ask a doctor.” That’s a sentiment you’ll see again and again – talk to your doctor – in “Am I Dying?!”

And yet, despite that the main raison d’etre for this book is serious, there’s a lot of fun-poking here, too. The authors use humor where appropriate, which tends to diffuse a potentially terrifying situation and brings readers back to a pre-hysteria point. The advice is solid – as much as a book on possibly-life-threatening situations can be – and it’s put together in a sensical way that makes it easy to use.

Be aware that this book presumes usage by a somewhat level and literate head, caveats are everywhere, and remember that it’s not a doctor-equivalent. Still, if comfort, rest, and peace of mind are all you really need, having “Am I Dying?!” around couldn’t hurt.

“Am I Dying?! A Complete Guide to Your Symptoms – and What to Do Next” by Christopher Kelly, M.D., M.S. and Marc Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.C.C., 337 pages, c.2019, Wm. Morrow, $25.99. 

• Terri Schlichenmeyer of The Bookworm Sez is a self-syndicated book review columnist. Schlichenmeyer’s reviews include adult and children books of every genre. You may contact her at bookwormsez@yahoo.com