Medical Facts To Always Be Honest With Your Doctor About

Medical Facts To Always Be Honest With Your Doctor About from finances to sex, bathroom habits to spousal relationships, herbs to illicit drugs, here are 10 things about which you should always be open with your doctor…Your life may depend on it.

What Not To Hide

1. Smoking, drinking excessively, doing illegal drugs…Perhaps not everyone is proud of any of the above, but your doctor needs to know. He needs to accurately diagnose and treat your health problems, so don’t hide your substance abuse. There are strict privacy laws between patient and doctor, so the information is not going to be shared.

2. Have peeing or pooping issues…Though bathroom habits are embarrassing, the digestive tract is the soul to a lot of your medical problems.

3. Taking herbs…You might feel that lots of medical science looks down on herbs and other forms of alternative medicine, and there’s a good chance you’re right; many M.D.’s are dismissive of alternative medicine. But even if you fear seeing your doctor’s eyes roll back in her head, tell her about the supplements you’re taking. Certain herbs don’t mix well with certain medications, so they need to know.

4. See a chiropractor or an alternative healer…still another eye roller for the medical science. But if you’re having neck pain, it will still help your doctor to know that just a few days ago your chiropractor adjusted your neck or that you have had alternative healing.

5. Are having financial troubles…most people don’t know how to talk about financial problems, it seems to be the big taboo and in today’s economy, it will become even more common place. So be open, perhaps an arrangement can be made.

6. Want cheap medicine…ask for a generic drug or a cheaper medicine than the one your doctor prescribes, don’t be embarrassed to say so. There is a $4 list of the generic drugs you can buy from. Ask your doctor if something on the list could work as well as the one he’s suggesting.

7. Feel depressed or anxious or stressed out…talk about your feelings. Depression is a serious disease and a lot of patients hesitate to tell their physician because because they think it’s embarrassing, or the problem will go away by itself and depression is too dangerous to keep a secret. It is a secret that can explode and cause more illnesses.

8. Defied the doctor’s orders…lets say your gynecologist asks if you are doing your breast exams every month, don’t lie and nod your head. Admit that you’re not. Perhaps she’ll come up with a way to make it easier to remember. Same goes for medicines: If you’re bad about taking the drugs your doctor prescribed, they need to know. This isn’t your parents, you won’t be punished.

9. Don’t exercise and eat badly…If chocolates are your best friend and you haven’t exercised since Timmy fell down the well, in Lassie, just admit it. Perhaps together you and your doctor can come up with ways to develop better habits ad get you on the right track.

10. Have a small problem you think is unimportant discuss it…it could be something of value related to your health or even your life.

So how do you get the guts to admit these things to your doctor? Tell them how uncomfortable it makes you feel. You can just say to the doctor, ‘Hey, this is embarrassing for me to talk about. This is hard for me. This is a taboo topic.’

Or, if doctors make you tighten up tell the nurse…they have good bedside manners and are trained to listen. Tell the nurse, if you feel like you connect with her better.

Since we are in the 21st Century, if your doctor does e-mail, try that, or just write a note. Some people do better writing things than saying them. When seeing your physical always, write your questions and concerns down. That way you will not get tongue tied or forget issues and remember. Fo more information on Medical Facts To Always Be Honest With Your Doctor About go to CNN News.