Your doctor
is your partner in health, so be sure to ask her as much as you can about your body.
The one place where you shouldn't worry about asking too many questions or being too inquisitive is in your doctor's office. During an examination by your physician, you should be as inquisitive as you can be about any and all health concerns. Be curious about what the doctor is doing. All of this will help you gain a better understanding of your own body and give your doctor the best chance of being able to diagnose and treat any potential health issues.
Ask During Exam/Test
Ask your doctor to explain what she is doing during the examination. This will give you a better understanding of your body and lets you know what kinds of things the doctor is trying to notice. If the doctor sends for any tests to be done on physical samples or scans of your body, be sure to ask your doctor to explain exactly why that is happening. What prompted her to send for the test? What does she hope to find or not find? How long will it take to get results back? What will the test feel like? Are there any safety concerns?
Reference Past Issues
If you have suffered from illness in the past such as heart disease or viral infections, ask your doctor if there are any signs of recurrences or worsening of past or existing conditions. If your doctor tells you about any changes to your condition that may be attributable to these illnesses, make sure you understand as much as you can about the situation. Ask how these new issues came about and what you can do to lessen the chance of them reoccurring in the future.
Discuss Current Findings
Make sure you understand everything that the doctor has discovered during the appointment. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of the current state of your body and allow you to discuss any new issues or concerns with your family and friends. Be sure to also ask about any test or examination results even if your doctor says everything looks good. This will let you know what your body's status quo looks and feels like and enable you to discuss any changes more efficiently during future appointments. You should also fully discuss any new medications with your doctor. Ask after the recommended dosage and instructions on take the drug. Be sure to ask about any potential side effects so that you fully know what to expect.
New Concerns
Be sure to ask your doctor about any concerns you have with your health. You can never be too safe or too concerned with your own personal wellbeing. If you have experienced any unusual pain in any part of your body, ask your doctor about it. Ask about any shortness of breath or trouble performing any normal bodily functions. You will feel better if something that you hope is insignificant is addressed by your doctor and found to actually be so. Conversely, this will allow your doctor to more effectively diagnose any conditions as early as possible and begin treatment. Tell your doctor about anything out of the ordinary.
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