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Heading to the doctor's office for a checkup? Here are 5 things your doctor wants you to know before you walk through that door.
Don't beat around the bush
The doctor is diagnosing your problem the moment you begin talking, so don't hold off on any details to the end, no matter how small they may seem. Throw it in if you want the correct medical prognosis, spill it altogether.
Skin advice from a facial expert isn't the same as a doctor's
If you've spent a couple of hundred getting a facial, or purchased one of those expensive skin care regime kits over the counter after a free skin analysis at a mall, you would have been better off consulting a dermatologist for far less. There are numerous skin clinics across Australia that will give you results as promised.
Don't brag
Doctor's need to hear the truth. When asked if you're physically active, be honest. If you find yourself rushing around town from one meeting to another, or picking the kids up from school, this doesn't mean you're physically active. You're just very busy. Taking time out specifically to exercise and how hard you push yourself is what they really want to know.
Don’t worry about how you look
Do you look horrible because you've been throwing up all morning? Didn't have the energy for a quick shave? Don't bother because in the medical profession these are tell-tale signs of your condition, not your character.
What's an emergency?
Sometimes patients have a hard time differentiating from what is an emergency and when they can wait another day or two before seeing a doctor. Here are a couple of problems that are classified as medical emergencies i.e. get yourself to the clinic on the double.
- Severe pains that haven't lessened in over an hour.
- Excessive bleeding.
- Possible infection after a medical procedure (e.g. stitches opening after surgery).
- High fever or severed diarrhea in pregnant women.
