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March 1, 2001
Everyone wants to enjoy the quality of the life that they lead; this is a normal goal of all healthy, balanced adults. Only by staying well, can you have the best quality of life. As we go through our lives, everyone experiences a number of acute illnesses and accidents that temporarily impair us and reduce our quality of life. As these acute problems resolve, we usually return to our normal quality of life. The more we can do
to stay well and reduce the number of these acute illnesses and accidents, the fewer episodes of temporarily impaired and temporarily reduced quality of life we will experience. These temporary acute illnesses include problems such as ear infections and GI viruses in children; in adults, colds, flus, sinus infections, bronchitis and headaches are the most common. Accidents such as simple scrapes, cuts and minor burns can all be treated at home. Even more significant injures such as a torn ligament or broken bone should cause only a temporary reduction in quality of life. As we get older, more chronic kinds of illnesses begin to occur which permanently reduce our quality of life; the way one deals with these chronic illnesses, both physically and mentally, will determine how much we allow these chronic illnesses to affect our quality of life. The more we can do prevent these chronic illnesses, the better our quality of life will be as we get older.
Many health problems can be avoided by simple steps taken at home; drink 6-8 glasses of fresh water daily, eat small well balanced meals, don?t overeat, exercise regularly, get good quality rest, don?t smoke, consume alcoholic beverages in moderation and avoid participation in sporting activities with a high risk of injury.
Many health problems can be prevented if you protect yourself in these ways. Most acute illnesses in early life and middle life are caused by infections with viruses and bacteria; although the average child develops 4-6 ear infections during the first few years of life and the average adult experiences 3-4 upper respiratory viral infections each year, you can prevent many of the more serious infections by getting immunizations against the viral or bacteria organism which causes these infections. Even some of the more common bacterial infections in older life such as bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia can be reduced with immunizations such as the influenza virus vaccination or the bacterial pneumococcal vaccination.
Many of the more chronic kinds of health problems that affect us as we get older are detectable by subtle early changes found on routine physical examinations. Regular screening examinations and check-ups are essential for detecting these early changes and implementing treatment, if necessary, to prevent these subtle early changes from progressing to a point that irreversible damage has already been done. Ignoring these problems does not make them go away, and admitting that these problems exist do not make you weaker or more vulnerable; having a check up and preventing the progression of the disease makes you smarter and can improve the overall quality of your life. Even if you have a family history of certain medical problems and even if you have a personal history of certain medical problems making healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the chance of this problem, and many other medical problems, from affecting you more than necessary.
Since we all experience minor medical problems during our life, knowing what is normal and what is abnormal is the first step in knowing how to handle these routine life events. For most of us, normal body temperature is 98.6 F. This is only an average that applies to the majority of people; some people will always be slightly higher and some people will always be lower. A significant change in your normal body temperature is often an important factor in determining how serious the medical problem is, and your health care provider will find this information very helpful. Get a thermometer, and take your temperature every morning at the same time for 3 days when you are feeling well; do this before eating, drinking, smoking or doing anything else that might significantly change your metabolism or body temperature. Add together the results from these 3 days and divide this number by 3; this average will be very close to your normal body temperature. Write this number down so that if you become ill, it will be easier to determine if any change in your body temperature associated with this illness is significant.
For many of the normal minor illnesses that affect us during our life, self-care at home is all that is required for a good outcome. All this requires is a little common sense and self-confidence. Ask your family and friends how to manage these common problems and try to take care of yourself; then, monitor how well your efforts are working. If you are feeling better, you will be the first to know; if you are feeling worse, you will be the first to know that, too. If and when you may need to contact your doctor, he/she will want to know what your symptoms are (likely including your temperature), what you?ve already tried and how well what you have tried has worked. Plan a time to call your doctor if the problem continues. If the problem persists longer than you think is reasonable or if the problems seem to be getting worse, don?t wait too long before calling for help.
In most cases, calling your doctor is all that is needed to manage a problem at home that you are not comfortable or familiar with; this is often the quickest way to determine if the doctor thinks that you should make an appointment for a more though evaluation in the office. If you plan to call your doctor, prepare for the call. Write down a simple one sentence description of the problem that concerns you. Then list 2 or 3 questions about this problem that you want to have answered. Have a list of your symptoms handy. Have a list of the things that you have already tried and whether these have helped or not. Have a calendar handy in case your doctor suggests that you need to schedule an appointment. If you have to leave a message, tell the person or the answering machine in a clear simple one sentence description who you are, what your problem is and how you can be contacted. If you believe that the problem is urgent, tell the receptionist who takes the call or include in your message that you believe that the problem is urgent and have the message relayed as soon as possible to the doctor; again always leave a number where and when you can be contacted. When the doctor calls you back, use the same guidelines; briefly and clearly describe your problem and your symptoms. If your doctor prescribes medication, you will need to provide the phone number for your pharmacy. If your doctor recommends an office visit, you will need to have a calendar available. If you think your problem is an emergency, it might be better to simply go to the nearest emergency room to prevent your problem from getting significantly more serious.
If you need an office visit, be prepared; most medical appointments last only about 15 minutes. The better organized you are for the visit, the more value you can get from your doctor. Your doctor will ask you to clearly explain your symptoms and how they occurred; remember you doctor has no idea about the specific events in your life, so you will need to be specific with respect to times and dates. Reporting that your symptoms started last week after having dinner at your daughter?s doesn?t really tell your doctor anything as he/she has no idea whatsoever when you went to your daughter?s. If you have a number of questions that you wish your doctor to answer, prepare a list so that you don?t forget to ask all the questions. Write down too what your hunches or fears are about your problems; these are often very helpful to the doctor as most patients are much more aware of their bodies and health problems than they give themselves credit for. Knowing your concerns will also help your doctor address these issues too during your visit.
To get the most out of your visit with your doctor, you need to be a good partner with your doctor in all aspects of your healthcare. Your relationship with your doctor greatly influences your ability to make wise health decisions and can greatly affect the outcome of your care. Tell your doctor that you want to be a partner in making decisions about your health and your healthcare. Most doctors will be happy to know that you are interested in taking an active role. Common goals, shared effort and good communication are the foundation of a good patient-physician relationship. Be honest and straightforward. If you are getting complimentary treatment, such as acupuncture or chiropractic treatments, let your doctor know. If you?d rather not take a prescribed medication, say so. If your doctor recommends a drug for your condition, ask your doctor why this medication is the best and if there are other options. If your doctor recommends a test or treatment, get more information about the reason for these procedures and about the risk, benefits, cost, other alternatives and the likely outcome before agreeing to go through with the procedure. Your body is your own, and your health is yours to protect; participating in every decision assures that you will get the outcome that is right for you. If your doctor is uncomfortable sharing these decisions with you, seek a second opinion.
On the other hand, on those rare occasions when you might choose not to participate in medical decisions, tell your doctor that you would simply like him/her to make the decision that he/she feels best for your situation. Feel free to take notes during your visit; write down the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up plan and what you can do at home. Read your notes back to the doctor to make sure that you have it right. If you think it will help, take along a friend or family member to write things down for you while you listen to the doctor.
Then to fully participate in your role at partner in your health and healthcare, you need to try to learn all that you can about your health problems. The most important resource for this type of medical information is your doctor; ask your doctor for information about your problem or resources you might use to find this information. Many doctors have information handouts, pamphlets and teaching videotapes that they will share with their patients. If your medical group or health plan has an advice line, call and ask if they can help you get more information. There is a great deal of information about health, wellness, illness and healthcare available from a variety of other sources; the library, bookstores and the Internet can be excellent resources for accurate medical information. If you use the Internet, start by searching sources such as the Agency for Health Care Policy Research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Health and Human Services, WebMD, Medscape, California Healthline, the California Medical Association, the American Medical Association or national organizations that represent a particular disease. These sources present information that is based on the analysis of a large body of medical information. Always question the reliability of any information that you find and think about how the provider of the information might benefit if you accept their information. If you have any questions or concerns about the information that you find, discuss them with your doctor.
Next ?Becoming A Good Partner in the Patient-Physician Relationship?
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