30 Of The Wildest "I Don't Think This Is Important, But-" Moments, As Shared By Doctors On This Online Thread

According to Dr. Carroll, the CEO of Atembis LLC, the information that a patient should prioritize telling their doctor depends on the specific situation.

"What are you concerned about? What is it that got you into the doctor in an urgency? Does your chest pain remind you of when your father had his heart attack? Are you losing weight, but you don’t know why because you haven’t changed anything? Is your period late when you are always on time, no matter what? What has changed, what is different? Then tell us the story," the doctor shared what patients should consider.

"It is easier for us as physicians to not ask a ton of questions, but to just let you tell us the story of what happened. Make it descriptive and rich. Start from the beginning or even before the beginning, and don’t stop until the end when you arrived at the doctor’s office. We can fill in any needed details after you’re done telling your story."

Dr. Carroll noted that the pain experience of an individual is very different between people. "There are many factors that go into it: genetics, upbringing, previous pain experience chronic illness (diabetes, heart disease), neurologic injury, substance abuse and addiction, ethnicity, history of mental, physical, and sexual abuse, current medications," he said that this list isn't exhaustive.

Real life might not be like an episode of ‘House,’ but a single detail can change how medical professionals approach your treatment. Patients, especially if they’re ill or hurt, aren’t in the best condition to know what information might be vital for doctors to know and what’s useless, so it’s best to be fully open and honest.

In short, the more information you give your doctor, the more they know about your medical history, the more appropriate and effective the treatment they can give you. What’s more, this can help them diagnose any illnesses you might have, whether hereditary or not.

So it’s best to tell the professionals about your medical history, your family, what surgeries you’ve had, what allergies you have, and what medication you use. And if you’ve had an accident or mysteriously fallen ill, details from the actual incident or preceding days and weeks can help turn the tide in your favor.

“Family medical history is a record of health information about a person’s family, usually including three generations of relatives. Families share genetic makeups, environments, and lifestyle—these factors can provide insight into medical conditions that may run in your family. Noticing concerns in a patient’s health as well as having an understanding patterns of diseases or disorders will make a diagnosis more likely, which is particularly important in catching something harmful early,” writes ‘My GP.’

Meanwhile, ‘Web MD’ notes that this information gives your doctor important clues about your health. Many diseases run in families, after all.

“The history also tells your doctor what health issues you may be at risk for in the future. If your doctor learns, for example, that both of your parents have heart disease, they may focus on your heart health when you’re much younger than other patients who don’t have a family history of heart disease.”

Trust can lead to more openness and honesty. According to a study published in 2017, researchers found that the actions that help build trust between doctors and patients included providing reassurance, telling them that it’s fine to ask questions, and showing them their lab results and explaining what they mean.

What’s more, doctors ought to avoid judging their patients through their use of language and their behavior, and should ask the patients what they want in terms of treatment goals and preferences. What patients truly want is to deal with medical staff who are knowledgeable and genuinely care about them.