Three Tips to Better Talk to Your Doctor

One of the most anxious times for most people is when they have to talk about their problems with a doctor. It can be a scary and strange time as the things you talk about might be embarrassing, confusing or serious. Here are three tips to help you talk to your doctor more effectively.

1. Prepare Beforehand

(source: telegraph.co.uk)

If you are going to go to a doctor’s appointment, it is definitely a good idea to prepare and go over what you want to talk to them about. If you walk in there with an idea of exactly what you want to ask them or what you want out of that visit, it will go a long way in helping with a quicker visit and diagnosis. If you do no research and walk in there with no clue what you could potentially have and no list of symptoms you have, you are wasting your time and theirs. Even having a small list of what is wrong and things like that can help you have a better and clearer chat with the doctor.

2. Be Completely Honest, They Don’t Judge

(source: spryliving.com)

There are some things you might be experiencing that you just absolutely do not want to talk to anyone about. But no matter how embarrassing your situation, illness or injury, the doctors have seen it before and likely things even worse. These people are professionals and won’t judge you for being honest and blunt, in fact, they encourage it. By not being honest or not telling the whole story, you are doing yourself a disservice and may not get the required care if you aren’t completely honest about your situation.

3. Don’t Be Scared to Ask Questions

(source: empowher.com)

Doctors are incredibly intelligent individuals. These people have put in hundreds of hours of studying and practice into this profession and they take it very seriously. What can sometimes happen though is a doctor can sort of skim over certain details, expecting you to understand them as well as they do. If you are ever confused by what a doctor is saying or want them to clarify something, don’t be afraid to stop them and ask them questions. It is your health and well-being we are talking about here. If you want clarification or assistance in understanding something, don’t be afraid to ask.