This is a continuing series using information from the booklet written by the National Institute on Aging working with the National Institutes of Health called: Talking With Your Doctor. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH Publication No. 05-3452 August 2005 (Reprinted April 2010)
What Can I Say – Giving Information
This section gives ideas on what to talk about. I have found that few people are eager to share what is going on with their bodies for fear that something may be devastatingly wrong inside but many times early discovery of a disease will save the person or at least help prepare for the inevitable.
It is important that you tell your doctor about your symptom(s). The booklet describes a symptom as “evidence of a disease or disorder in the body. Examples of symptoms include pain, fever, a lump or bump, unexplained weight loss or gain, or having a hard time sleeping.” While a doctor may perform exams and/or tests, it is your input that helps direct the doctor where to look.
Before you start telling him/her your symptoms it is best to clarify what they are. The easy part is identifying them but when do that happen. Are they constant? If not, when do you experience them (frequency and duration)? When did they start? What are you doing or what have you done recently that may aggravate or ease the symptoms? Do they affect your daily activities? Which ones? How?
The booklet makes the following recommendation:
Take the time to make some notes about your symptoms before you call or visit the doctor. Worrying about your symptoms is not a sign of weakness. Being honest about what you are experiencing doesn’t mean that you are complaining. The doctor needs to know how you feel.
It also states that it is very important to give information about your medications (especially if you are being seen by more than one doctor – example, did you go to the hospital recently and did that attending physician prescribe medication? If he/she did, your doctor would not know about it!) The booklet goes on to state:
It is possible for medicines to interact causing unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects. Your doctor needs to know about ALL of the medicines you take, including over-the-counter (nonprescription) drugs and herbal remedies or supplements, so bring everything with you to your visit—don’t forget about eye drops, vitamins, and laxatives. Tell the doctor how often you take each. Describe any drug allergies or reactions you have had. Say which medications work best for you. Be sure your doctor has the phone number of the pharmacy you use.
As you talk with your doctor you must be honest and let him/her determine what may or may not be important. Have your interests changed? For example, you used to be quite active but now you are tired all the time and so you no longer exercise. You may think that being tired is no big deal but your doctor can run a test that may determine if there is a chemical imbalance that is causing this. Did you know that changes like a loss of a loved one (including pets) is a big stress factor and it affects how you function? It has been shown that if there are several of these life changes in a short period of time that it can be debilitating. Your doctor should know things like if you have moved and why you moved. Did somebody move in with you or are you now living with somebody? Did you sell a home, have family move away (or nearby), drivers getting crazier and you are having more near misses?
Look at this time with your doctor as being a detective partner. Instead of solving a crime you are solving the cause of your discomfort.
Next time: What Can I Ask?
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