Knowing Your Family’s Health History

We have all been to the doctor’s and had to complete the long list of questions about possible health conditions. Your doctor(s) not only need to know if you have been having problems or diagnosed with a disease, or disorder but your blood relatives as well.

How important is it really to your overall health and wellbeing? When you are young, and healthy, your family’s genetic ailments may not be affecting you, maybe they never will if your lucky. Fast forward a few decades, you spend more and more time at doctor’s appointments, this hurt, that aches, you noticed a spot, or felt a small bump.

Of course, tests will be ordered, you will be poked, and prodded in hopes of determining what ails you. This is when your doctor is going to ask you about your family’s health history. Does cancer run in the family, what type, which family members? The closer the DNA to yours (your parents, siblings,) the more likely you are genetically predisposed to the same diseases.

You will not have to get a copy of your family’s medical records but knowing this information can assist your physician in determining what tests to run and put together a game plan. If you do not know your biological family, you can have a simple DNA test requiring a bit of saliva that will provide what diseases you may be predisposed to.

Tracking your health history in a phone app, or an online patient portal is a great way to stay on top of everything from most recent office visits, surgeries, medications, tests, and future appointments.

Do not forgo your annual physical, eye exam, hearing exam, or recommended test such as Colonoscopy’s and Mammogram’s for this is where so much can be detected early.