Talking_About_Symptoms

TALKING TO YOUR PHYSICIAN ABOUT SYMPTOMS

(Source Unknown. Edited 18 April 2006)

Describing your symptoms completely and correctly is key to helping your physician diagnose and treat your disease. The more information you can provide regarding symptoms, the more likely your physician will be able to make the correct diagnosis and select the appropriate tests and treatment.

The more of the following questions you can answer the better your physician will be able to make a diagnosis or know in what direction to go. You do not need to answer all of the questions for each symptom because some of the questions will not be appropriate for some symptoms. When your symptoms present subtle changes, it is more difficult to describe, and you may need to be more persistent. Sometimes subtle symptoms are nothing to worry about.

Every one is different in how they perceive their body. Some people can put up with a lot of pain, nausea, etc and never complain. Some people may have "normal" changes and notice every thing that is different about their body. As a physician gets to know her or his patients and how they perceive their bodies, it helps put the patient’s symptoms into the appropriate context.

As a general rule, if your symptoms are reoccurring or bothering you and you can answer some of the above questions, even if subtle, you should convey that to your physician.

Your answers to the following questions will help your physicians correctly diagnose your diseases.

Write out the answers to these questions about each symptom before your next appointment. For each symptom, answer the following if you can:

Timing:

When did the symptom start?
How does it last?
Is it continuous or intermittent?
How often does it occur?

Location: Where is the pain, or symptom?

Quality: What does it feel like?

Pain:

sharp,
dull,
toothache,
burning,
pressure,
stabbing,
throbbing, etc.
Does the pain change locations?

Diarrhea,

explosive,
cramping?

Quantity or severity: If it is pain usually we ask on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worse pain in your life, nothing is greater than 10.

What is the pain at its worst and best?
What is the day-to-day level?
What is the level when you get a flare?
If it is diarrhea, how many bowel movements per day are you having?

Setting:

When does the symptom occur?
Is there something that triggers the symptom?
Does it come on when you are

sitting,
exercising,
eating, etc.?

Aggravating or relieving factors:

What makes the symptom worse or better?
What have you tried to help your symptoms,
what has worked and
what has not?

Associated symptoms:

What have you noticed that seems to be related to your initial symptoms?
Fever,
chills,
headache?

Affects: How have the symptoms affected your life?

What can't you do that you could before
Have your relationships with others suffered
Are you elated, depressed, cold-hearted?
Inappropriate emotions?

Similar Symptoms :

If the symptom is similar but different than a usual symptom then describe how it is different.

There are certain symptoms that are serious and should be given priority such as:

•   blood anywhere it should not be,
•   coughing up blood,
•   vomiting blood or something that looks like coffee grounds,

(Iron replacement and Pepto-Bismol will both cause the stool to be black.)

• blood in stool or black tarry looking stool that is usually diarrhea, or
• blood in urine.

As a general rule, it your symptoms are reoccurring or bothering you and you can answer some of the above questions, even if subtle ones, you should convey that to your physician.