6 things you should NEVER lie to your doctor about. Your lie may be more serious than you think
When it comes to a meeting with a doctor, a few white lies may actually snowball into a real tragedy. And while you may not see any harm in concealing a bad habit, forgetting to mention a multivitamin you take, misrepresenting the amount of exercise you do, or simply not showing up at the doctor’s office for a while, all of these things may really harm your health and pose a serious health risk. Learn which 6 common lies you should never say to your doctor by reading through the list below.
1. Your age and your parents’ medical history
Disclosing the patient’s age accurately is extremely important, as many crucial preventative medical procedures are age-dependent. This may help you prevent serious diseases, such as cancer, for one.
Another preventative measure that you might be missing out on is immunizations, the majority of which are age-dependent, especially for kids. Speaking of children, it is of utmost importance to be accurate about the age of small kids, as the medications they can take safely and effectively lean on the age of the child. It is also important for everyone to notify their doctor about any conditions that run in their family, such as cancer, diabetes, genetic conditions, etc., as your doctor will assign additional tests and screenings for you to prevent or manage the condition you are likely to have inherited from your family.
2. Lifestyle
This is actually a crucial one. Alcohol consumption and ᴅʀᴜɢ use can mess with the rest of your medications, making them less effective or causing side effects. ᴍᴀʀɪᴊᴜᴀɴᴀ use, for example, can render some antidepressants, heart medications and blood thinners ineffective.
A severe alcohol habit is no less harmful, however, as alcohol withdrawal symptoms can ᴋiʟʟ an in-patient, especially if the patient didn’t disclose their habit and the doctors don’t suspect they’re supposed to treat withdrawal symptoms and not something unknown.
Smoking tobacco, on the other hand, increases one’s likelihood of developing a variety of lung diseases, erectile dysfunction, heart disease, and stroke. Finally, all of these habits may interfere with your vital signs and health tests, which will prevent you from getting the treatments and health screenings that you really need.
3. Food
Many people struggle with maintaining a healthy diet and doctors know this. There is nothing new you are going to tell him that he hasn’t already encountered. Therefore, spill the beans on your bad eating habits, cravings and what not. This will help your doctor advice you accordingly and treat you appropriately.
4. All past surgeries and medical procedures, even minor ones, including pregnancies and labor
Being honest with your doctor about every minor surgery or cosmetic procedure that happened years ago might not seem important to you, but this information may be a crucial clue to your doctor that can help diagnose and treat your condition. Be explicit about any surgeries and medical procedures you’ve been through, including:
– Cosmetic and plastic surgery.
– Labor complications or abortions.
– The removal or skin bumps or lumps.
– Trauma, etc.
This is important because some surgeries increase your likelihood of developing certain diseases and symptoms, e.g. a removed gallbladder may make you experience bloating and abdominal pain after eating fatty or spicy foods. In addition, your previous surgeries may give your doctor some additional insight into what’s going on or point to a bigger issue, like a cosmetic filler may get inflamed or cause severe and even chronic allergic reactions, which may not be diagnosed unless you disclose that you had this procedure. Finally, anesthesia-related issues, such as the possibility of complications, are always a consideration before an upcoming surgery, and a history of previous surgeries may help your doctor better gauge the dose and kind of anesthetic to be used.
5. Medications
If your doctor asks you whether you are consuming medication other than what he/she has prescribed, it’s essential to answer truthfully.
Several medications interact with each other within the body. Some interactions have a positive synergic effect in treatment, but others may interact to give toxic byproducts, which can harm you.
Therefore, the doctor needs to prescribe medication in keeping with the drugs that you are already on. This list includes medication for any chronic diseases like diabetes, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders, birth control pills, nutritional supplements and also tablets or pills prescribed by practitioners of alternative medicine, like Homeopathy or Ayurveda.
It is also important to tell your doctor about missed doses, especially with regard to antibiotics and birth control pills. It not only plays an important role in the duration of your treatment, but also helps in diagnosing complications, if any arise.
6. Mental issues
Opening up about mental health is difficult considering the stigmatization it carries and the embarrassment that stops people from talking about it. But there is nothing to be ashamed of because it is a disease like any other. Being anxious, depressed, bulimic, anorexic, etc is something most people have struggled with at one point in their lives so let your doctor. It will help them know how to approach the whole situation.
Sources: ba-bamail.com, standardmedia.co.ke, yourhealth-key.com
