A guide to ask a doctor for a health check

Most people tend to be passive and "yes-yes" when consulting a doctor about their complaints. In fact, this is a golden opportunity for you to ask questions directly to the experts. Don't be afraid to be called talkative. Doctors are actually happy when their patients are actively asking questions. Remember, "shame on asking stray on the street." Shame on asking the doctor, your health might be at stake. Therefore, don't hesitate to ask the doctor a lot.

If you are confused about what to ask during a consultation with a doctor, see the guide here.

Why do you have to ask the doctor so many questions during the consultation?

The question and answer process is the key to good communication with the doctor. If you don't ask any questions, your doctor may assume that you already know all the information they tell you or don't want to know more about it.

Therefore, be proactive when you are going to consult a doctor. Ask questions when you don't know medical terms, for example hypertension, angina, abscess, aneurysm, etc.

In addition, do not hesitate to ask your doctor about instructions that you do not understand. Starting from the rules for taking the correct medication to taboos that must be avoided during treatment.

Here are some basic questions to ask your doctor.

Ask your doctor about your health condition

A diagnosis helps your doctor identify any physical illnesses or problems you are experiencing. Your doctor makes a diagnosis based on your symptoms and the results of a physical exam, lab tests, and other tests.

Once patients understand their own medical conditions, it may be easier for doctors to make decisions about the best treatment for their condition. Especially if you already know which treatments are suitable for your condition.

Conversely, if you don't understand your condition yourself, don't hesitate to ask your doctor about it. Ask the doctor to explain in detail about the disease you are experiencing and the strongest reasons why you can get the disease.

The following is a list of questions that can be asked to a doctor to find out a diagnosis of your disease:

• Why do I get this disease? What is the strongest cause?
• How common is this disease?
• Is this disease contagious?
• Are there any medical procedures I need to do?
• Can this disease I have can be cured?
• Does this disease have any long-term effects?
• How to treat this disease?
• Can this disease be prevented? How to prevent?
• How often should I see a doctor?
• How do I find out more information about this disease?

Some diseases may not be cured and can last a lifetime. However, that doesn't mean you can't control the disease. With proper care, people with serious medical conditions can still carry out activities like normal people in general.

Ask your doctor about the drugs you are taking

After knowing the disease you have, the doctor will usually prescribe several drugs to relieve symptoms. Now, when a doctor prescribes a drug, make sure you know the name of the drug and understand why the doctor has prescribed the drug to you.

In general, here are some lists of questions that you can ask when your doctor prescribes certain drugs:

• What is the name of the drug that was prescribed?
• How many times do I have to take the medicine?
• Are there any side effects after taking the drug?
• What if I forget to take the medicine?
• What are the dangers of reducing or increasing the dose of the drug?
• Should this drug be consumed until it runs out?
• Are there any food / beverage restrictions that should be avoided when taking this medicine?
• Do I need to see the doctor again after taking the medicine?
• I have an allergy to certain drugs, is this drug safe for consumption?
• If at any time my illness recurs, can I take this drug again?
• Can this drug be purchased without a doctor's prescription?

Don't forget, make sure you tell all other medicines, whether it's vitamins, supplements, or herbs, that you are taking when you are consulting your doctor. This is done so that the drugs prescribed by the doctor do not cause interactions with other drugs that you are also taking. In addition, it is obligatory to provide your doctor with your full medical history.

In order not to forget, record all the answers given by the doctor in a special book.

If within the allotted time the medicine prescribed by the doctor does not work or makes your condition worse, immediately consult a doctor.

Ask your doctor about any medical procedures that will be performed

Sometimes, medication alone may not be enough and doctors will need to perform certain medical procedures. Yes, your doctor may need to do blood tests, X-rays, or other procedures to find out the cause of the disease you are currently experiencing, treat the disease, or just to monitor your overall condition.

Well, before doctors perform various medical procedures, here is a list of statements that you can submit:

• Why do I need or should do this procedure?
• How does the procedure take place?
• What should I prepare before doing the examination?
• What should I do after doing this examination?
• Are there any possible side effects? How long do these side effects usually last?
• How long will it take to find out the results of the examination?
• How much does it cost to carry out the procedure?

When the results come out, ask the doctor to explain their meaning in as much detail as possible. You may be able to ask your doctor for a copy of the results of the examination.

But before asking, ask first whether the hospital is willing to give a copy of the examination results to the patient or not. The reason is, some hospitals do not allow the results of the examination to be brought by the patient.

Tips on remembering the doctor's instructions

Not everyone immediately remembers all the instructions given by a doctor. In fact, if you feel that you have become very close to the doctor, there are times when you may not understand what he is saying.

To keep all the instructions given by the doctor on your head, here are a few things you need to do:

Ask again if you are still confused

Don't hesitate to ask your doctor for any information you don't or you don't understand.

For example, “Doc, can you repeat it one more time? I am still confused." or “Doc, I don't understand the medical term, what does that mean?

Repeat what the doctor said

Another way you can do this is to repeat the statement given by the doctor.

You can repeat the statement by, "Doc, means that hypertension is another term for high blood pressure, right?" or "Doc, means the conclusion, blah blah blah .., huh?"

Take notes, take notes, take notes!

When you are consulting a doctor, bring a notebook or pen with you. After that, write down the important points when you were a doctor to share certain information. If you can't write while the doctor is talking to you, you can record it on your cell phone.