Questions To Ask Your Doctors

When you go to the doctor, it is typically for a problem, such as a cold, stomach pain, or another issue that needs remedy.  But most often, in haste, people fail to ask the doctor questions about their overall health or inquire more about the causes, treatments, and how family history may impact them.  

Questions To Ask Your Doctors
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

Take the initiative by asking questions during your visit to the doctor.  Your doctor will appreciate this proactive participation.  A doctor's visit is a crucial opportunity for a healthy conversation.  We are presenting some questions to help you format what to ask.
​
Speak up with questions such as the following:

Did I explain my question correctly so that you understand what I just said?
It can often feel like the doctor and their patient are not participating in the same conversation.  Patients often state that they relay a concern to the physician, who may then respond with an answer that does not fit their inquiry or need. 
Physicians and patients can benefit from asking if they are understood or just reexplaining it another way if not understood. 

Are Preventive Care Services Right For Me?
Preventive care targets disease prevention and methods of keeping healthy.  Here, it would be best if you discussed current guidelines on age-appropriate tests and vaccines with your doctor. 
Because of continuous research, your physicians should be able to determine which preventive measures are most important and potentially lifesaving for specific age groups and genders and describe why particular types of preventive care measures are a healthy choice and the right fit for you.

How Does My Family History Affect My Risk For Certain Conditions?
It is important to discuss family medical history with your doctor.  Some medical conditions affect multiple family members across generations.  If first-degree relatives, such as a parent or sibling, or even more distant relatives have heart disease, an autoimmune disease, or some types of cancer, you could be at higher risk.
Now that there are more advances in genetic testing for conditions that run in families – for example, BRCA1 and BRCA2 (gene mutations related to breast and ovarian cancer) and some hereditary colon cancers, knowing this information can be lifesaving.  Pancreatic cancer has also been linked to BRCA gene mutations.

My Real Fear Is.............How Concerned Should I Be?
It would be best if you did not hesitate to ask your primary care physician about anything related to your health.  For instance, a patient who has finger numbness may have Googled their symptoms and be worried about stroke or diabetes as a cause.  However, a thorough exam and asking the right questions to the physician will easily differentiate the conditions from something more benign, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
It is prudent to be upfront with your fears so that your physicians know what is really on your mind and address your concerns.