Doctors tend to be quite tight-lipped. Many of them ascribe to the idea that the role of a doctor is to provide a distraction while nature does all the healing work. 

Because of this, they tend to limit how much they speak. They don’t want their chattiness to have a “nocebo” effect on the patient. 

Unfortunately, as a patient, this approach can leave you feeling in the dark. You have a gut feeling that something’s wrong, but your doctor won’t tell you. 

Fortunately, this post is here to help. In it, we run through some of the questions you should be asking your doctor to find out what’s really going on. 

When Should I Come Back And See You Again? 

Doctors usually want to follow up and see how you are doing. Most of the time, they’ll ask you to return in between a week and a month for a further checkup. 

However, in some cases, you may have a clean bill of health. If that happens, you can expect full discharge without the need for any further appointments. 

Can I Stop Taking Some Medications?

The fewer medications you can take, the better. That’s why it’s always worth asking your doctor whether you can come off some of the ones that you’re on already. 

Medications can help you manage symptoms, but most come with side effects, many of which can leave you feeling rough. Even regular over-the-counter painkillers can lead to stomach ulcers, bleeding, and other complications. 

If your doctor can’t take you off medications entirely, they may be willing to lower your dosage. Always follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter, though. Never stop taking medicines without telling them what you are doing. 

Should I Go To The Dentist?

There are many reasons why regular dentist visit is important for overall health. What happens in your mouth often goes on to impact the rest of your body. If your teeth and gums are unhealthy, chances are that your cardiovascular and immune systems are at risk, too. 

Unfortunately, doctors can’t provide treatment directly. But they can suggest that you go to local clinics to get your teeth looked at. Usually, they can tell you whether any conditions you have relate to your oral health. 

What Are The Conflicts Between My Medications? 

Medications can sometimes work at cross purposes to each other. For instance, taking a blood-thinning pain killer, like aspirin, isn’t a good idea if you are already on warfarin, another type of blood thinner. 

Ask your doctor whether there are any interactions between the drugs that you are on. Discuss the symptoms with them and see if they are affecting you. Ask if they can put you onto a different set of drugs with fewer interactions to manage your condition. 

What Supplement Brands Should I Take?

Doctors can be quite skeptical of supplements in general. Thanks to a series of recent publications, most believe they are unnecessary. 

With that said, you can go to them for advice on the types of brands you should use. They’ll often recommend one of the big names because these tend to have the best quality control. In other words, they contain what the label says they contain. 

If you can avoid supplements, though, that’s better. Just focus on improving your diet and making sure that you get all the nutrition you need from the foods you eat. 

Should I Wear Mineral Sunscreen?

There are two main types of sunscreen on the market: chemical and mineral. Chemical sunscreens use certain molecules that absorb into the skin and then absorb energy from incoming solar ultraviolet radiation. Minerals-based formulations, on the other hand, block out the sun’s rays and don’t penetrate the skin. 

Surprising as it might sound, most healthcare professionals recommend chemical sunscreens. That’s because they tend to be more effective and don’t easily brush off, even if you wipe your face. 

How Important Are Colonoscopies? 

Nobody looks forward to colonoscopies, but they are an effective way to discover bowel abnormalities early on before waiting for symptoms to get worse. The American Cancer Society recommends that all adults get bowel screenings once per year for colorectal cancer. The organization believes that if this happened, it would help to prevent more than a thousand deaths per year. Interestingly, medics believe that they can prevent around 85 percent of colorectal cancers with simple screening techniques. 

What Is My Nutritional Status? 

If you feel tired or lethargic all the time, then it could indicate poor nutritional status. According to research, around three-quarters of adult women are deficient or borderline in at least one essential vitamin or mineral. 

Vitamin D and iron are the most common deficiencies among women whereas men tend to have lower B12 and zinc levels. 

If you do take a supplement, it is usually best to take the supplement containing the nutrient in which you are deficient. You don’t have to automatically take a multivitamin to cover all your bases. Very few people are deficient in nutrients across the board, other than those who are starving. 

What Should I Do To Improve My Wellness?

Doctors tend to spend most of their time addressing symptoms and battling active diseases. But improving your wellness is by far the best way to maintain your health long-term. 

Doctors should recommend some of the steps you can take based on what they know about your lifestyle and circumstances. They may recommend working fewer hours, eating more vegetables, or spending longer in nature. 

How Many Patients Like Me Have You Treated? 

This is a great question because it tells you a lot about the doctor’s experience and what they know about likely outcomes. Ideally, you want someone who is an expert in addressing the specific problems that you face. 

Interestingly, research shows that people who are confident in their physician’s abilities are much more likely to follow their advice. You can ask them about their success rate in treating patients like you, and they may even be willing to provide you with references.