Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions About Your Health

If we fail to ask questions when we have an appointment with a
medical professional, we may not be getting the full value from
the visit Asking direct, relevant questions of a doctor is not
an imposition It is our right and is also in the best interests
of the doctor to provide all of the information we need
Forgetting to ask questions during an office visit is a common
occurrence This can be a stressful and hectic time and being
distracted is normal, especially if we are not feeling well It
is helpful to write down any questions that you may have before
your appointment so that you do not forget to ask You may also
want to discuss these questions with a friend or family member
Another person may be able to add insight by seeing things more
clearly than we can at the time
Don’t assume that you are causing a problem by asking questions
Most doctors appreciate patients who ask good questions
Feelings of fear, embarrassment or inadequacy are not good
reasons for failing to ask the about things you really want to
know If you don’t ask, your doctor may assume that you
understand, or that you do not care to know more He or she
cannot guess what your concerns are
As you know, television and magazines are saturated with
advertising for various medications Such conditions as high
blood pressure, depression, arthritis, high cholesterol and even
erectile dysfunction are being targeted by pharmaceutical
companies with new medications The information supporting these
products encourages viewers and readers to “ask your doctor
about (name of product)”
Essentially, these companies are putting pressure on doctors to
prescribe their medications But, in a way, the pharmaceutical
companies have made it much easier to initiate a dialogue with
your doctor It is no longer unusual for patients to ask doctors
about something they have read or heard about Consequently, the
dynamic between patient and doctor is changing Doctors are
becoming conditioned to hearing questions from patients and they
are obliged to respond
Finally, if you forget to ask a question or think of one later,
call back and ask! Your doctor should prefer, if you do have
health questions, that you get the proper answer rather that
guess Guessing could be hazardous to your health

Tags | appointment, arthritis, companies, doctors, feelings, imposition, inadequacy, member, pharmaceutical, relevant, time