03/07/2023
10 Things That You Should Know Before Visiting Your Doctor…
Dr.Arun Kurhe
When we are ill, we need doctor’s help.
We must consult a medical doctor for treatment at the earliest. We should prepare ourselves before visiting a doctor to make the process of treatment easy & comfortable or hassle free.
Prepare yourselves before visiting a doctor. Know these tips. Get well soon.
(1) Understand Your Illness
Make a list of symptoms that you’re suffering from or any abnormal feeling you are experiencing since the last 2 days, cough or cold since last 5 days etc.
Don’t even ignore minor symptoms like burning sensation while urination, passing black color stools etc.
These symptoms may be useful clues for the doctor to diagnose the disease. Female patients, if pregnant, must mention about pregnancy.
There is a list of drugs that should be avoided in pregnancy, which may be harmful to the fetus.
Symptoms are body reactions that you can feel. Signs are that doctors are able to detect through diagnosis.
Example of signs are swelling of any gland (lymphadenopathy), abnormal heart sound / lung sound, enlargement of liver / spleen, which a doctor shall try to find out during the clinical examination.
(2) Respect Your Doctor’s appointment
Check doctor’s address and his consulting hours properly.
Take a prior appointment. If there’s any change in visiting the doctor, do inform clinic’s reception.
This little courtesy from your end would enable the doctor to accommodate other needy patients. Spare enough time for consultation.
Always keep family doctor’s contact number, nearest hospital number, ambulance number etc., with you.
These are very important questions that every doctor asks. Do you know?
(3) Are you allergic to any drugs?
Allergy means something which doesn’t suit you, may be drugs or any food item. Once you know your allergies, you must keep a note of it, in your records.
Drugs can cause allergic reactions, ranging from simple itching (urticaria) to life threatening Steven Johnson syndrome.
Every time you visit your doctor you must remind your doctor about the drug allergies, if known. Do not blame any doctor for drug allergy.
(4) Do you have any major past illnesses?
If you have history of Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension, Hypothyroidism, Heart diseases, etc., you must tell your treating doctor about it.
Certain drugs are contraindicated in specific diseases. Pain killers, NSIAD group of drugs should be avoided in Asthma.
Gatifloxacin, an antibiotic may lower blood sugar level in Diabetics. Asprin should be avoided in known case of hyperacidity (gastritis), and so on.
(5) Are you taking any continuous medication?
Most of the asthmatic, diabetic, hypertensive patients have to take continuous medication to keep their illness under control.
To avoid drug to drug interactions, you must tell your doctor about your ongoing medication. This will help the doctor to advise safer drugs for you.
(6) Understanding Clinical Investigations
After gathering information about signs & symptoms, personal history, family history, drug allergy, continuous medication, the most important thing that’s remaining, is your clinical examination.
Sometimes, it may not be possible to prescribe appropriate medicine without investigation.
So to make correct diagnosis, to rule out the exact cause of illness & to keep track on certain parameters, doctors may advise you few investigations. Investigations may include blood tests, ECG, X-ray, ultra-scan, etc., as per the nature of illness.
Investigation can be done as a preventive health check up also.
Try to understand the importance of investigations. You may ask your doctor about the importance of investigation.
For example, Fever is the sign of more than 1000 illnesses. To rule out exact cause of it, investigations play a vital role.
I have seen few patients trying to find out other ways of treatment or consult another doctor to avoid investigation for many reasons.
If you are not for investigations you must tell your doctor about it. He may advise better solution for your illness.
(7) Understanding Prognosis of Disease.
Prognosis is course of disease. How much time will it take to recover? What kind of symptoms you may experience during the illness?
Now-a-days most of us hurry to get cured at the earliest. We don’t have time spend for our illness.
There are certain diseases like measles, chicken pox, mumps, and common cold may take 3 – 10 days for complete recovery. Symptoms of these diseases may last for few days to weeks.
Most of us easily get anxious due to symptoms like fever, bodyache, vomiting, weakness, etc but if you know the course of illness you will not disturb your doctor & will prepare yourself for disease.
(8) Know The Treatment
Treatment may include course of drugs like antibiotics, analgesics, anti-diabetics, anti-hypertensives etc.,
Antibiotic group of drugs must be taken as per the prescribed dosage & for the recommended duration. If antibiotics are not consumed as per advice, the disease may not be cured completely & he or she may became resistant to that drug.
It has been seen most of us do not complete the course of antibiotics. This may create health problem for us and make us susceptible to disease more often.
Medicine for diabetes, hypertension etc has to be taken for longer periods. Few medicines like antipyretics (for fever), antiemetics (for vomiting) etc are advised whenever essential.
Oral medicine action starts after 45 minutes. Paracetamol tablet, if taken for fever, it takes 45 minutes to 2 hours to get relieved from fever.
I have seen patients calling doctor every 15 minutes & complaining about not getting relief from fever. Now-a-days few fast acting formulations are also available. Dosage & duration of medicine are very important.
You will find few terms on prescription as follows:
One teaspoonful = 5 ml, one dessert spoonful = 10 ml,
0ne tablespoonful = 15 ml,
Twice a day means every 12 hourly,
Three times a day means every 6 hourly.
SOS means whenever essential, F.U means follow up.
Before leaving the clinic you must read the prescription completely.
In case of any doubt, please clarify immediately.
It is known that ‘Medical science is an imperfect science’.
Some drugs may not show similar result in all the patients. In certain clinical conditions, it may be difficult to take decision about treatment.
In such situations doctors may have to start treatment empirically. Keep faith in doctor’s treatment.
To get well soon & or getting completely cured is a two-way process. Good doctor will advise appropriate treatment & good patient will understand it patiently.
9) Do not accompany kids to the clinic, if not essential. Risk of carrying infection is more at clinic.
10) Wear comfortable clothing so that it will easy for doctor do clinical examination & any procedure if needed.
