Jan 15 2009
FOUR THINGS NOT TO SAY TO YOUR DOCTOR
FOUR THINGS NOT TO SAY TO YOUR DOCTOR
An anonymous M.D. reveals how being “helpful” can hurt your diagnosis;
1. “I have______.” “A sharp pain when I breathe in” is a symptom. ‘It feels like I have TB” is not. Your doctor knows how to interpret symptoms. You’re the only one who knows how you feel Stick to what you know.
2. “I read ______on the Internet.” You can waste a lot of time asking your doctor to steer you through the rarities and delusions that pop up when you Google your symptoms. This is time your doctor should spend thinking about you, not Wiki pathology.
3. “I saw an ad for______.” This is a testimony to the effectiveness of advertising. The problem is that you don’t ordinarily choose a treatment until after you’ve received a diagnosis.
4. “I need a test for______.” Tests ordered without solid clinical suspicions are likely to produce false positive results and wind up costing you peace of mind. Not to mention that enormous co-pay.
