Three Unusual Situations Where It's Essential To Notify Your Family Doctor
If you get a broken leg or bad fever, it's probably instinctual for you to go to the doctor. But many activities are, contrary to popular belief, necessary to communicate to your doctor to prevent unforeseen health complications. So if you do any of these three things, thoroughly explain what you're doing to your doctor.
Take Store Bought Vitamins
Just because you don't need a prescription for a particular vitamin doesn't mean that it can't be potentially dangerous if taken in conjunction with a heavy drug like Prozac or Adderall. If your doctor has prescribed you any drugs at all, get a personal consultation before taking anything that could potentially alter your body's chemical balance.
Even if you don't currently take any prescription drugs, it's nonetheless a good idea to tell your doctor upfront about any vitamins that you're taking before you're asked more questions. Since most doctors don't have the time to extend appointments for very long, anything that you can say to make an initial decision easier will reduce the risk of an inappropriate prescription.
Hang Glide
Hang gliding is a sport that involves jumping off a mountain or tall hill with nothing but a non-motorized glider. Obviously, this sport is extremely strenuous and dangerous. It certainly shouldn't be attempted if you suffer from major heart problems.
There are other conditions that may or may not increase the risk of injury while hang gliding, such as weak knee joints. If you don't communicate with your doctor fully about your hang gliding hobby, you could suffer a lot of unnecessary pain because you didn't fully know the risk of an injury.
Smoke E-cigarettes
Everyone knows that smoking is a very unhealthy habit and that you should communicate the amount of cigarettes you smoke to your doctor. But while vaping, or smoking nicotine liquid with the use of an e-cigarette, isn't thought to be as bad as smoking cigarettes, there are nonetheless risks involved that you should discuss with your doctor.
Even a small amount of nicotine is bad for you. Nicotine could also be a reason for side effects felt while taking certain drugs. So make sure to tell your doctor both the fact that you use an e-cigarette and how often you typically smoke.
As with anything that involves physical health, knowledge and communication is key. You don't want to find out that a brutal injury or drug side effect could have been prevented if you had just been a little less reticent at your family physician's appointment.