When you visit your primary care physician for a checkup, you, of course, know that you should share any overt medical concerns that you have or symptoms you may be suffering from. However, those are not the only things you should share with your doctor. In order to get a good, thorough picture of your overall health, it's important to share a few more facts about your life and what you're experiencing. Here's a look at four specific things you should share with your doctor -- but that patients often forget or neglect to share:
Sleep Habits
Tell your doctor how you have been sleeping. Have you been waking up at night and having trouble falling back to sleep? Have you struggled to fall asleep in a timely manner when you crawl into bed? How many hours or sleep do you typically get? Sharing this information with your doctor will allow them to determine if any symptoms you're experiencing could be due to your sleep patterns -- or if they should look into other possible explanations like various illnesses.
Mood Problems
If you feel grumpy every now and then or a bit sad when something negative happens to you, that's pretty normal and not something you really need to share with your doctor. However, if you struggle with moods--any moods--to the extent that they get in the way of your ability to satisfy your life's obligations, then you need to mention this to your doctor. You may be suffering from a mood-related disorder, from depression to bipolar disorder, and telling your doctor about your symptoms is an important first step towards getting the treatment you need.
Changes in Sexual Arousal and Behavior
Talking about sex is uncomfortable, especially when things are not ideal in the bedroom. But if you've noticed any changes whatsoever in your ability to become aroused and engage in sex, this could be a sign of disease. If you are a female, be sure to tell your doctor about any pain you have during intercourse or irregular bleeding you've been experiencing. If you're a male, don't be afraid to tell your doctor about any problems you've had obtaining or maintaining an erection.
Stress Levels
If you have a very stressful job or have something else stressful going on in your life, let your doctor know about this. Having this information will allow them to determine which of your symptoms are due to stress, and which may actually be caused by an illness.
Share14 July 2017
As a child, I used to spend my days roaming through the woods. I climbed trees, smelled the flowers, and laid in the grass looking at the clouds. My love for nature continued through my teen years, but when I turned 23, I began to sneeze whenever I left my home. I could no longer enjoy my outdoor hikes and I started taking antihistamines so I could at least open my windows on warm days. My allergies got worse though and I met with an allergist who completed a variety of skin tests. I started receiving allergy shots and my allergist taught me about natural cleaning processes and sinus rinses. The injections and natural treatments improved my quality of life greatly. Even if you do not want to start allergy injections, you have a variety of options that can lessen your symptoms, and you should learn what these options are.
