{"id":205614,"date":"2019-04-09T12:31:58","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T12:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5f17670acf5743285.temporary.link\/rohsi.org\/?p=205614"},"modified":"2019-04-09T12:43:48","modified_gmt":"2019-04-09T12:43:48","slug":"things-you-should-never-lie-to-your-doctor-about-after-40","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205614","title":{"rendered":"THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER LIE TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT AFTER 40"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

T<\/strong>You might not think much about lying to your doctor, but one tiny omission could be the difference between a proper diagnosis and an inaccurate prognosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Past and Present Smoking Habits: <\/strong>The older you are, the more important it is that you inform your doctor about your smoking habits<\/a>. According to the American Cancer Society<\/a>, lung cancer primarily occurs in older individuals, with the average lung cancer patient diagnosed at about 70 years-old. And even if you are a former smoker and no longer touch tobacco, you should still let your doctor know; unfortunately, it\u2019s always possible that those bad decisions you made when you were younger are coming back to haunt you as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Age: <\/strong>Shaving a few years\u2014or even a few decades\u2014off of your age at the doctor\u2019s office might feel more like stretching the truth than telling a lie<\/a>, but it can ultimately prevent your doctor from doing their job properly. For instance, if you were to say you\u2019re in your 30s instead of revealing that you\u2019re actually in your late 40s, your doctor might mistake those hot flashes as a symptom of hyperthyroidism instead of a symptom of menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Drinking Habits: <\/strong>\u201dDrinking is going to affect the body much more prominently in your 40s,\u201d explains Dr. David Greuner of NYC Surgical Associates<\/a>. Excessive drinking can cause a myriad of health issues that range from heart disease<\/a> to hepatitis\u2014but the more honest you are about your drinking habits, the better your odds will be. Patients who are diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis, for instance, have a five-year survival rate of 90 percent<\/a> when they stop drinking compared to a five-year survival rate of 70 percent when they continue to hit the bottle. Plus, if your provider doesn\u2019t know that you\u2019re a heavy drinker, then they might just end up prescribing you something that really<\/em> doesn\u2019t mix well with alcohol<\/a>\u2014but by the time you know it, it\u2019ll be too late. \u201d Always make sure you are 100 percent honest with your doctor about your alcohol intake,\u201d says Greuner. \u201cThe response may be to cut down\u2014which you may not want to hear\u2014but it\u2019s essential for your health moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Family’s Medical History: <\/strong>Be careful not to leave out any details about your family\u2019s medical history when you talk to your doctor\u2014genetics can play a major role in your physical and mental health. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center<\/a>notes that \u201csome people are genetically predisposed to developing certain types of cancer,\u201d and folks with familial histories of cancer can benefit from getting genetic testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Medical and Surgical History: <\/strong>\u201dIn spite of all the technology available today, the history is still the mainstay of diagnosis,\u201d notes one report written in Physician Connection<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThe impact of social, environmental, hereditary, and behavioural factors on patient well-being and illness must be realized in the patient\u2019s history.\u201d Everything from allergies to medications to previous surgeries can have an impact on a doctor\u2019s diagnosis and course of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Weight: <\/strong>Typically, it\u2019s impossible to lie to your doctor about how much you weigh, given that doctors\u2019 offices have scales at the ready. But it\u2019s important to tell your GP the truth about your size, even if you may be uncomfortable with it\u2014especially if your weight borders on obese. Research published in the journal Pharmacotherapy<\/em><\/a>, for instance, found that standard doses of certain antibiotics didn\u2019t work for obese individuals. Remember: with your doctor, honesty is always the best policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Diet: <\/strong>Telling your doctor that you start every morning with a balanced breakfast<\/a> when you\u2019re really a regular at the McDonald\u2019s drive-thru may result in unnecessary treatments and medications. As Brian Doyle, MD, of the UCLA School of Medicine explained to WebMD: \u201cTelling the doctor you eat correctly when you really don\u2019t could [result in] being prescribed a medication to control your cholesterol, for example. This could produce side effects and be less effective than simply continuing to have good eating habits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Symptoms: <\/strong>Patients don\u2019t really lie about their symptoms so much as they simply forget to mention them\u2014but everything you omit makes it harder for you to get an accurate diagnosis. Every symptom\u2014even if it doesn\u2019t seem like a symptom at all\u2014brings your doctor closer to the cause of your pain and suffering\u2014and likewise, anything you leave out can lead to a misdiagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Drug Use:<\/strong> Let this cautionary tale<\/a> from American Academy of Family Physicians president Dr. John Cullen be a warning to you when it comes to being honest with your doctor about your drug use. Because one of his patients wasn\u2019t upfront about the drugs he was taking, he was misdiagnosed with appendicitis and came dangerously close to getting his appendix removed for no reason.\u201d Methamphetamine can sometimes present the same way as appendicitis,\u201d says Dr. Cullen. \u201cAs we\u2019re getting ready to take [the patient] to the operating room, I remember saying, \u2018We\u2019re about to cut you open here. Are you sure you don\u2019t want to tell me anything else?\u2019 That\u2019s when we found out about the methamphetamine use. Indeed, that was the cause, and we stopped the surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Mental Health: <\/strong>Your physical and emotional pain have more in common than you think. Per one study published in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical <\/em>Psychiatry<\/a>, physical symptoms that commonly accompany depression include joint pain, back pain, stomach issues, fatigue, and appetite changes\u2014just to name a few. And depression and anxiety<\/a> aren\u2019t always necessarily the primary diagnosis; in some scenarios, they\u2019re merely symptoms of other serious health issues, like pulmonary embolisms and heart attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Severity of Your Pain<\/strong>: Your doctors and nurses ask you about your pain levels because they need to ensure that treatment is effective and appropriate. \u201d Unfortunately, [cancer] patients sometimes lie and mask certain troubling side effects out of fear that I may discontinue that particular treatment,\u201d Kashif Ali, a medical oncologist with Maryland Oncology Haematology, explained to Prevention<\/em>. \u201cBut oftentimes they can stay on the regimen, as long as I adjust the dose, or even switch to another treatment that\u2019s just as effective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Date of Your Last Period: <\/strong>The onset of menopause isn\u2019t the only explanation for a missed period in middle age. As long as you\u2019re still fertile, you can still get pregnant\u2014so if your period doesn\u2019t arrive, you should let your doctor know just to make sure that it is<\/em> menopause and not a new wombmate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Exercising Habits: <\/strong>People who don\u2019t get enough exercise are often so embarrassed about this fact that they end up lying to their doctor about it. In fact, when Medicare<\/a> surveyed some 1,239 patients, 37 percent of them admitted that they \u201cusually\u201d or \u201csometimes\u201d lie to their healthcare providers about how much they diet or exercise. However, the last thing any good doctor is going to do is shame you for your habits\u2014and if they don\u2019t actually know how much activity you\u2019re getting, then they don\u2019t know how to properly assess\u2014and alleviate\u2014your issues. \u201dWe\u2019re not trying to shame you because you\u2019re doing something wrong,\u201d Dr. Isabel Valdez, an instructor at Baylor College of Medicine, explained<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019re not able to exercise because you\u2019re working two jobs and you\u2019re a caregiver to your mother with Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a>, I\u2019m not going to shame you for not exercising. But tell me that so we can work around that and find another game plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Sex Life<\/strong>: Of the 1,239 patients who took a Medicare survey, 32 percent admitted to lying to their doctor about their sex life<\/a>. If you have an active sex life as you age\u2014especially if you have multiple partners\u2014it\u2019s important to clue your doctor into your lifestyle. After all, research published in the International Journal of STD & AIDS<\/em><\/a> found that \u201crates of sexually transmitted infections in older patients are increasing,\u201d and more and more women over the age of 50 are likely to be diagnosed with HIV and trichomoniasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Supplement Regimen: <\/strong>\u201dAlways tell the truth if you\u2019re on any vitamins and herbs,\u201d says Dr. Michelle C. Reed, a physician, health coach, and owner of MS Family Medicine Health Care, P.C. \u201cVitamins and herbs<\/a> do have side effects and sometimes the side effects will affect the efficacy of prescription medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Date of Your Last Check-Up: <\/strong>When your doctor is looking at your previous bloodwork and test results, they need to know precisely how old that information is. Why? When you reach your 40s and 50s, you need to start getting tested regularly for things like colorectal cancer, heart disease<\/a>, and osteoporosis, but lying about the date of your last check-up can lead your doctor to skip the very tests that might just save your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Often You Use the Restroom: <\/strong>Is it awkward to talk about how often you defecate and the solidity of your stools? Absolutely. However, it\u2019s also a necessity, at least when it comes to conversations with your doctor. Irregular bowel movements become more common with age<\/a>, and without proper medical care, constipation and diarrhoea don\u2019t always clear up on their own. In fact, long-term blockage can lead to serious complications like rectal prolapse and fecal impaction that require surgery and a stint in the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Shut-Eye You Get: <\/strong>While sleep deprivation<\/a> is never good, it\u2019s especially detrimental to the over-40 community. Studies have shown that individuals over 40 who don\u2019t get enough sleep are unintentionally advancing the aging of their mind and body\u2014so much so, in fact, that in 2015 Public Health England started a campaign to inform over-40 folks about the perils of skimping on sleep. Inadequate amounts of shut-eye<\/a> can cause everything from type 2 diabetes<\/a> to hypertension, so make sure that you\u2019re being candid with your doctor about your sleep schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking Prescribed Medications: <\/strong>If your doctor previously prescribed you something like a cholesterol medication or sleeping pills and you\u2019re not actually taking them, it\u2019s better to be honest about it than to lie just to avoid an uncomfortable situation. \u201cIf you are not taking your medicine as directed, your provider may increase or add another medicine and it might not be a necessary addition,\u201d explains Reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Financial Situation: <\/strong>The United States might technically be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but that doesn\u2019t mean that each and every one of its citizens has boatloads of money to spend on healthcare. On the contrary, the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation<\/a> reports that a staggering 27.4 million non-elderly individuals were uninsured in 2017\u2014and this isn\u2019t even taking into account the individuals who have healthcare and still can\u2019t afford their procedures and pills. Given how many people don\u2019t have healthcare, it\u2019s not especially surprising that many a patient will lie to their doctors about their financial situation. In Medicare\u2019s survey, 1 in 4 people noted that they often lie to their providers about how much healthcare they can afford, both out of embarrassment and out of what they feel is necessity. However, patients pretending that they can pay for medications and services when they can\u2019t be a huge issue. When doctors aren\u2019t accurately aware of a patient\u2019s financial situation, they can\u2019t work with them to figure out an affordable way to get them the care they need. And in the case of patients pretending to be someone else in order to use their health insurance<\/a>, the issue isn\u2019t just medical, but also legal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complying with the Doctor’s Orders: <\/strong>Don\u2019t worry about offending your doctor when you admit to them that you actually haven\u2019t been abiding by their recommendations. Sure, that conversation isn\u2019t going to be fun, but it\u2019s better than pretending that you have been doing everything you\u2019re supposed to and putting your health at risk<\/a>. \u201dA forty-something patient who is on medication for blood pressure or cholesterol but has never had a heart attack or stroke might not see the need to take their medication daily,\u201d explains Fred Ralston<\/a>, an internal medicine specialist with Fayetteville Medical Associates in Tennessee. \u201cAt times, I may seem doom and gloom, but I also seem people on the other side of that ledge and it changed their lives, so I try to get my patients to take it more seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Travel History: <\/strong>Where you travelled recently and how you got there could be the key to diagnosing some of your more perplexing health symptoms. If you just got back from a nine-hour plane ride<\/a> and you\u2019re experiencing severe leg cramps, for instance, then you might be suffering from a serious complication called deep vein thrombosis. And though malaria isn\u2019t commonly contracted in the United States, it\u2019s still relatively common in parts of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Pain Threshold: <\/strong>\u201dPatients sometimes lie to their medical professionals about their pain threshold or symptoms in order to get their hands on a stronger medication<\/a>,\u201d says Jocelyn Nadua, a registered practical nurse and care coordinator at C-Care Health Services<\/a>. \u201cNurses and doctors can assess the situation best, so it\u2019s important for patients to be as honest as possible about their conditions with them in order to receive the proper care and medications suited to their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Diagnoses from “Alternative Practitioners”: <\/strong>Your doctor needs to know about all of the diagnoses you\u2019ve been given in the past\u2014especially if they were made by alternative doctors who aren\u2019t necessarily doing any proper testing. \u201cDiagnoses made by alternative practitioners can cause genuine doctors lots of problems, particularly when they go along with certain fashion trends,\u201d explains Dr. Laurence Gerlis, a private practitioner and CEO of SameDayDoctor<\/a>. \u201cActually being \u2018gluten intolerant,\u2019 for instance, is rare, yet it is extremely fashionable at the moment, as is having adrenal disease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Diagnoses from “Alternative Practitioners”: <\/strong>Your doctor needs to know about all of the diagnoses you\u2019ve been given in the past\u2014especially if they were made by alternative doctors who aren\u2019t necessarily doing any proper testing. \u201cDiagnoses made by alternative practitioners can cause genuine doctors lots of problems, particularly when they go along with certain fashion trends,\u201d explains Dr. Laurence Gerlis, a private practitioner and CEO of SameDayDoctor<\/a>. \u201cActually being \u2018gluten intolerant,\u2019 for instance, is rare, yet it is extremely fashionable at the moment, as is having adrenal disease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Sunscreen Use: <\/strong>It might feel like your dermatologist<\/a> is being a nag when they ask you how often you wear sunscreen<\/a>, but they\u2019re only doing so because they don\u2019t want you to develop skin cancer. And it\u2019s all the more important that you\u2019re honest about your sunscreen usage as you get older, as the Canadian Cancer Society<\/a> reports that most cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are seen in patients between 80 and 90 years old, while melanoma is most often diagnosed at just 63<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Past Pregnancies:<\/strong> A surprising number of women lie to their healthcare providers about their previous abortions and\/or pregnancies\u201414 percent, to be precise. However, both of these things are essential information for your doctor. Long after giving birth, moms can still experience hormonal imbalances, iron deficiencies, depression, and more, so make sure your doctor\u2019s clued in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Sexual Orientation: <\/strong>It might not seem like your sexual orientation is relevant at a routine check-up, but knowing this pertinent relationship information can better help your doctor diagnose you. Though many diseases are equally prevalent in all communities, others tend to be found more frequently in LGBTQ individuals. For instance, gay and bisexual men accounted for 83 percent of primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2014, according to the CDC<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Oral Hygiene: <\/strong>While you might not think that a white lie about your oral hygiene matters, something as simple as bad breath can be a sign of serious inflictions like chronic kidney disease, cancer, or an infection. And since gum disease has been linked to heart disease<\/a>\u2014the number one cause of death worldwide\u2014it\u2019s important that you\u2019re forthright about your brushing and flossing habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Relationship Problems: <\/strong>Sure, your primary care physician isn\u2019t your therapist, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should keep them in the dark about what\u2019s going on in your personal life. Why? \u201cStress can have many effects on the body<\/a> and the mind,\u201d Dr. Jonathan Kerr, a family physician and the president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, explained to Best Health<\/em>. \u201cIf your physician is not aware of what\u2019s going on in your life, he or she can\u2019t do anything to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Relationship with Food: <\/strong>If you think that eating disorders only affect teens and twentysomethings, think again. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders<\/a>, approximately 13 percent of women over the age of 50 partake in eating disorder behaviours. At least one person dies from eating disorder every hour or so, so don\u2019t lie about habits like restricting, binging and purging, or laxative abuse if your doctor asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Strength of Your Memory: <\/strong>You can run from dementia, but you can\u2019t hide. By 2060, researchers<\/a> believe that some 13.9 million individuals 65 and older in the United States will be diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> and other dementias. The good news? While there isn\u2019t a cure yet for Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia, there are things that you can do to keep your mind sharp and healthy<\/a>, even after a diagnosis\u2014and the more forthright you are with your doctor about your memory issues, the faster you can start an appropriate treatment plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Water You Drink: <\/strong>Typical symptoms of dehydration include dry skin, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and muscle cramps. The problem? Symptoms like these are hardly life-threatening, so people will often ignore them instead of figuring out their cause. However, dehydration itself can be a life or death issue\u2014according to research from the Office of National Statistics<\/a>, 48 individuals in nursing homes died of dehydration in England and Wales between 2013 and 2017 alone. And since older individuals often have a difficult time distinguishing dehydration symptoms<\/a> from symptoms of aging, it\u2019s important to let your doctor know just how much water you\u2019re drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Hearing: <\/strong>Hear us out when we say that you should be honest with your doctor about how much you can (and can\u2019t) hear. Though you might feel ashamed to admit that your hearing isn\u2019t as sharp as it once was, you can take solace in the fact that approximately one-third of all adults between the ages of 65 and 74 suffer from some degree of hearing loss<\/a>. The sooner your healthcare provider knows about your aural impairment; the sooner they can work on finding you a remedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Visual Impairments: <\/strong>Get ready to see your optometrist more frequently than some of your friends once you hit 40. According to the American Optometric Association<\/a>, this is the age when people \u201cstart to have problems seeing clearly at close distances, especially when reading and working on the computer.\u201d Though it is possible to go through life squinting and struggling to see, failing to correct your vision can cause headaches and may even make you more prone to falling or accidents while driving\u2014and at the end of the day, feeling embarrassed for a few seconds is better than putting your safety in jeopardy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Compliance with Physical Therapy Recommendations: <\/strong>\u201dIt\u2019s important to be truthful about performing your physical therapy exercises because a diligent supervised physical therapy program can oftentimes help with the healing of an injury,\u201d explains Steve Yoon, M.D.<\/a>, a physiatrist and director of the Regenerative Sports and Joint Clinic at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute. \u201cNot rehabilitating frequently enough may not stimulate healing and it can also inhibit support and strength that is needed to compensate for an injury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losing Your Medication: <\/strong>Far too many patients lie to their doctors about \u201closing\u201d their pain medications because they\u2019ve taken more than the recommended dose and are now dependent on the drug. Not only is this illegal, but it\u2019s also wrong and \u201cdevelops a sense of mistrust between the patient and physician,\u201d says Dr. Yoon. In order to avoid this scenario, the physiatrist relies on \u201copen communication about the debilitating effects of pain and realistic expectations for pain control\u201d\u2014but in order to do this, his patients have to be just as honest with him as he is with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Fear of Going to the Doctor: <\/strong>Yes, even grown adults are allowed to be scared<\/a> of the doctor. In fact, with all of the maladies that plague the older population, one could argue that adults are even more<\/em> entitled to this fear! If you do get nervous about your visits to the doctor\u2019s office, though, make sure that you\u2019re honest about your worries so that you can address and possibly even overcome them. Otherwise, your provider might accidentally do something to make you even more afraid without realizing it, making you less likely to seek care when you need it in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Profession: <\/strong>Depending on what you do for a living; you might be putting yourself in harm\u2019s way without even knowing it. Flight attendants, for instance, are more likely to develop skin cancer and breast cancer, according to one study published in Environmental Health<\/em><\/a>. And workers who are regularly exposed to asbestos are much more at risk of developing mesothelioma, notes one study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Pets: <\/strong>Fido is just as relevant to your medical history as any other member of your family. Though our furry friends don\u2019t mean to, they can spread diseases to us<\/a> that range from ringworm and salmonellosis to leptospirosis and giardia. And if you have a good boy or girl at home, make sure you check out these 15 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Your Dog<\/a>. To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click here<\/a> to follow us on Instagram!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TYou might not think much about lying to your doctor, but one tiny omission could be the difference between a proper diagnosis and an inaccurate prognosis. Your Past and Present Smoking Habits: The older you are, the more important it is that you inform your doctor about your smoking habits. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"\n

T<\/strong>You might not think much about lying to your doctor, but one tiny omission could be the difference between a proper diagnosis and an inaccurate prognosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Past and Present Smoking Habits: <\/strong>The older you are, the more important it is that you inform your doctor about your smoking habits<\/a>. According to the American Cancer Society<\/a>, lung cancer primarily occurs in older individuals, with the average lung cancer patient diagnosed at about 70 years-old. And even if you are a former smoker and no longer touch tobacco, you should still let your doctor know; unfortunately, it\u2019s always possible that those bad decisions you made when you were younger are coming back to haunt you as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Age: <\/strong>Shaving a few years\u2014or even a few decades\u2014off of your age at the doctor\u2019s office might feel more like stretching the truth than telling a lie<\/a>, but it can ultimately prevent your doctor from doing their job properly. For instance, if you were to say you\u2019re in your 30s instead of revealing that you\u2019re actually in your late 40s, your doctor might mistake those hot flashes as a symptom of hyperthyroidism instead of a symptom of menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Drinking Habits: <\/strong>\u201dDrinking is going to affect the body much more prominently in your 40s,\u201d explains Dr. David Greuner of NYC Surgical Associates<\/a>. Excessive drinking can cause a myriad of health issues that range from heart disease<\/a> to hepatitis\u2014but the more honest you are about your drinking habits, the better your odds will be. Patients who are diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis, for instance, have a five-year survival rate of 90 percent<\/a> when they stop drinking compared to a five-year survival rate of 70 percent when they continue to hit the bottle. Plus, if your provider doesn\u2019t know that you\u2019re a heavy drinker, then they might just end up prescribing you something that really<\/em> doesn\u2019t mix well with alcohol<\/a>\u2014but by the time you know it, it\u2019ll be too late. \u201d Always make sure you are 100 percent honest with your doctor about your alcohol intake,\u201d says Greuner. \u201cThe response may be to cut down\u2014which you may not want to hear\u2014but it\u2019s essential for your health moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Family's Medical History: <\/strong>Be careful not to leave out any details about your family\u2019s medical history when you talk to your doctor\u2014genetics can play a major role in your physical and mental health. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center<\/a>notes that \u201csome people are genetically predisposed to developing certain types of cancer,\u201d and folks with familial histories of cancer can benefit from getting genetic testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Medical and Surgical History: <\/strong>\u201dIn spite of all the technology available today, the history is still the mainstay of diagnosis,\u201d notes one report written in Physician Connection<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThe impact of social, environmental, hereditary, and behavioural factors on patient well-being and illness must be realized in the patient\u2019s history.\u201d Everything from allergies to medications to previous surgeries can have an impact on a doctor\u2019s diagnosis and course of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Weight: <\/strong>Typically, it\u2019s impossible to lie to your doctor about how much you weigh, given that doctors\u2019 offices have scales at the ready. But it\u2019s important to tell your GP the truth about your size, even if you may be uncomfortable with it\u2014especially if your weight borders on obese. Research published in the journal Pharmacotherapy<\/em><\/a>, for instance, found that standard doses of certain antibiotics didn\u2019t work for obese individuals. Remember: with your doctor, honesty is always the best policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Diet: <\/strong>Telling your doctor that you start every morning with a balanced breakfast<\/a> when you\u2019re really a regular at the McDonald\u2019s drive-thru may result in unnecessary treatments and medications. As Brian Doyle, MD, of the UCLA School of Medicine explained to WebMD: \u201cTelling the doctor you eat correctly when you really don\u2019t could [result in] being prescribed a medication to control your cholesterol, for example. This could produce side effects and be less effective than simply continuing to have good eating habits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Symptoms: <\/strong>Patients don\u2019t really lie about their symptoms so much as they simply forget to mention them\u2014but everything you omit makes it harder for you to get an accurate diagnosis. Every symptom\u2014even if it doesn\u2019t seem like a symptom at all\u2014brings your doctor closer to the cause of your pain and suffering\u2014and likewise, anything you leave out can lead to a misdiagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Drug Use:<\/strong> Let this cautionary tale<\/a> from American Academy of Family Physicians president Dr. John Cullen be a warning to you when it comes to being honest with your doctor about your drug use. Because one of his patients wasn\u2019t upfront about the drugs he was taking, he was misdiagnosed with appendicitis and came dangerously close to getting his appendix removed for no reason.\u201d Methamphetamine can sometimes present the same way as appendicitis,\u201d says Dr. Cullen. \u201cAs we\u2019re getting ready to take [the patient] to the operating room, I remember saying, \u2018We\u2019re about to cut you open here. Are you sure you don\u2019t want to tell me anything else?\u2019 That\u2019s when we found out about the methamphetamine use. Indeed, that was the cause, and we stopped the surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Mental Health: <\/strong>Your physical and emotional pain have more in common than you think. Per one study published in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical <\/em>Psychiatry<\/a>, physical symptoms that commonly accompany depression include joint pain, back pain, stomach issues, fatigue, and appetite changes\u2014just to name a few. And depression and anxiety<\/a> aren\u2019t always necessarily the primary diagnosis; in some scenarios, they\u2019re merely symptoms of other serious health issues, like pulmonary embolisms and heart attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Severity of Your Pain<\/strong>: Your doctors and nurses ask you about your pain levels because they need to ensure that treatment is effective and appropriate. \u201d Unfortunately, [cancer] patients sometimes lie and mask certain troubling side effects out of fear that I may discontinue that particular treatment,\u201d Kashif Ali, a medical oncologist with Maryland Oncology Haematology, explained to Prevention<\/em>. \u201cBut oftentimes they can stay on the regimen, as long as I adjust the dose, or even switch to another treatment that\u2019s just as effective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Date of Your Last Period: <\/strong>The onset of menopause isn\u2019t the only explanation for a missed period in middle age. As long as you\u2019re still fertile, you can still get pregnant\u2014so if your period doesn\u2019t arrive, you should let your doctor know just to make sure that it is<\/em> menopause and not a new wombmate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Exercising Habits: <\/strong>People who don\u2019t get enough exercise are often so embarrassed about this fact that they end up lying to their doctor about it. In fact, when Medicare<\/a> surveyed some 1,239 patients, 37 percent of them admitted that they \u201cusually\u201d or \u201csometimes\u201d lie to their healthcare providers about how much they diet or exercise. However, the last thing any good doctor is going to do is shame you for your habits\u2014and if they don\u2019t actually know how much activity you\u2019re getting, then they don\u2019t know how to properly assess\u2014and alleviate\u2014your issues. \u201dWe\u2019re not trying to shame you because you\u2019re doing something wrong,\u201d Dr. Isabel Valdez, an instructor at Baylor College of Medicine, explained<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019re not able to exercise because you\u2019re working two jobs and you\u2019re a caregiver to your mother with Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a>, I\u2019m not going to shame you for not exercising. But tell me that so we can work around that and find another game plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Sex Life<\/strong>: Of the 1,239 patients who took a Medicare survey, 32 percent admitted to lying to their doctor about their sex life<\/a>. If you have an active sex life as you age\u2014especially if you have multiple partners\u2014it\u2019s important to clue your doctor into your lifestyle. After all, research published in the International Journal of STD & AIDS<\/em><\/a> found that \u201crates of sexually transmitted infections in older patients are increasing,\u201d and more and more women over the age of 50 are likely to be diagnosed with HIV and trichomoniasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Supplement Regimen: <\/strong>\u201dAlways tell the truth if you\u2019re on any vitamins and herbs,\u201d says Dr. Michelle C. Reed, a physician, health coach, and owner of MS Family Medicine Health Care, P.C. \u201cVitamins and herbs<\/a> do have side effects and sometimes the side effects will affect the efficacy of prescription medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Date of Your Last Check-Up: <\/strong>When your doctor is looking at your previous bloodwork and test results, they need to know precisely how old that information is. Why? When you reach your 40s and 50s, you need to start getting tested regularly for things like colorectal cancer, heart disease<\/a>, and osteoporosis, but lying about the date of your last check-up can lead your doctor to skip the very tests that might just save your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Often You Use the Restroom: <\/strong>Is it awkward to talk about how often you defecate and the solidity of your stools? Absolutely. However, it\u2019s also a necessity, at least when it comes to conversations with your doctor. Irregular bowel movements become more common with age<\/a>, and without proper medical care, constipation and diarrhoea don\u2019t always clear up on their own. In fact, long-term blockage can lead to serious complications like rectal prolapse and fecal impaction that require surgery and a stint in the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Shut-Eye You Get: <\/strong>While sleep deprivation<\/a> is never good, it\u2019s especially detrimental to the over-40 community. Studies have shown that individuals over 40 who don\u2019t get enough sleep are unintentionally advancing the aging of their mind and body\u2014so much so, in fact, that in 2015 Public Health England started a campaign to inform over-40 folks about the perils of skimping on sleep. Inadequate amounts of shut-eye<\/a> can cause everything from type 2 diabetes<\/a> to hypertension, so make sure that you\u2019re being candid with your doctor about your sleep schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking Prescribed Medications: <\/strong>If your doctor previously prescribed you something like a cholesterol medication or sleeping pills and you\u2019re not actually taking them, it\u2019s better to be honest about it than to lie just to avoid an uncomfortable situation. \u201cIf you are not taking your medicine as directed, your provider may increase or add another medicine and it might not be a necessary addition,\u201d explains Reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Financial Situation: <\/strong>The United States might technically be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but that doesn\u2019t mean that each and every one of its citizens has boatloads of money to spend on healthcare. On the contrary, the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation<\/a> reports that a staggering 27.4 million non-elderly individuals were uninsured in 2017\u2014and this isn\u2019t even taking into account the individuals who have healthcare and still can\u2019t afford their procedures and pills. Given how many people don\u2019t have healthcare, it\u2019s not especially surprising that many a patient will lie to their doctors about their financial situation. In Medicare\u2019s survey, 1 in 4 people noted that they often lie to their providers about how much healthcare they can afford, both out of embarrassment and out of what they feel is necessity. However, patients pretending that they can pay for medications and services when they can\u2019t be a huge issue. When doctors aren\u2019t accurately aware of a patient\u2019s financial situation, they can\u2019t work with them to figure out an affordable way to get them the care they need. And in the case of patients pretending to be someone else in order to use their health insurance<\/a>, the issue isn\u2019t just medical, but also legal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complying with the Doctor's Orders: <\/strong>Don\u2019t worry about offending your doctor when you admit to them that you actually haven\u2019t been abiding by their recommendations. Sure, that conversation isn\u2019t going to be fun, but it\u2019s better than pretending that you have been doing everything you\u2019re supposed to and putting your health at risk<\/a>. \u201dA forty-something patient who is on medication for blood pressure or cholesterol but has never had a heart attack or stroke might not see the need to take their medication daily,\u201d explains Fred Ralston<\/a>, an internal medicine specialist with Fayetteville Medical Associates in Tennessee. \u201cAt times, I may seem doom and gloom, but I also seem people on the other side of that ledge and it changed their lives, so I try to get my patients to take it more seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Travel History: <\/strong>Where you travelled recently and how you got there could be the key to diagnosing some of your more perplexing health symptoms. If you just got back from a nine-hour plane ride<\/a> and you\u2019re experiencing severe leg cramps, for instance, then you might be suffering from a serious complication called deep vein thrombosis. And though malaria isn\u2019t commonly contracted in the United States, it\u2019s still relatively common in parts of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Pain Threshold: <\/strong>\u201dPatients sometimes lie to their medical professionals about their pain threshold or symptoms in order to get their hands on a stronger medication<\/a>,\u201d says Jocelyn Nadua, a registered practical nurse and care coordinator at C-Care Health Services<\/a>. \u201cNurses and doctors can assess the situation best, so it\u2019s important for patients to be as honest as possible about their conditions with them in order to receive the proper care and medications suited to their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Diagnoses from \"Alternative Practitioners\": <\/strong>Your doctor needs to know about all of the diagnoses you\u2019ve been given in the past\u2014especially if they were made by alternative doctors who aren\u2019t necessarily doing any proper testing. \u201cDiagnoses made by alternative practitioners can cause genuine doctors lots of problems, particularly when they go along with certain fashion trends,\u201d explains Dr. Laurence Gerlis, a private practitioner and CEO of SameDayDoctor<\/a>. \u201cActually being \u2018gluten intolerant,\u2019 for instance, is rare, yet it is extremely fashionable at the moment, as is having adrenal disease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Diagnoses from \"Alternative Practitioners\": <\/strong>Your doctor needs to know about all of the diagnoses you\u2019ve been given in the past\u2014especially if they were made by alternative doctors who aren\u2019t necessarily doing any proper testing. \u201cDiagnoses made by alternative practitioners can cause genuine doctors lots of problems, particularly when they go along with certain fashion trends,\u201d explains Dr. Laurence Gerlis, a private practitioner and CEO of SameDayDoctor<\/a>. \u201cActually being \u2018gluten intolerant,\u2019 for instance, is rare, yet it is extremely fashionable at the moment, as is having adrenal disease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Sunscreen Use: <\/strong>It might feel like your dermatologist<\/a> is being a nag when they ask you how often you wear sunscreen<\/a>, but they\u2019re only doing so because they don\u2019t want you to develop skin cancer. And it\u2019s all the more important that you\u2019re honest about your sunscreen usage as you get older, as the Canadian Cancer Society<\/a> reports that most cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are seen in patients between 80 and 90 years old, while melanoma is most often diagnosed at just 63<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Past Pregnancies:<\/strong> A surprising number of women lie to their healthcare providers about their previous abortions and\/or pregnancies\u201414 percent, to be precise. However, both of these things are essential information for your doctor. Long after giving birth, moms can still experience hormonal imbalances, iron deficiencies, depression, and more, so make sure your doctor\u2019s clued in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Sexual Orientation: <\/strong>It might not seem like your sexual orientation is relevant at a routine check-up, but knowing this pertinent relationship information can better help your doctor diagnose you. Though many diseases are equally prevalent in all communities, others tend to be found more frequently in LGBTQ individuals. For instance, gay and bisexual men accounted for 83 percent of primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2014, according to the CDC<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Oral Hygiene: <\/strong>While you might not think that a white lie about your oral hygiene matters, something as simple as bad breath can be a sign of serious inflictions like chronic kidney disease, cancer, or an infection. And since gum disease has been linked to heart disease<\/a>\u2014the number one cause of death worldwide\u2014it\u2019s important that you\u2019re forthright about your brushing and flossing habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Relationship Problems: <\/strong>Sure, your primary care physician isn\u2019t your therapist, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should keep them in the dark about what\u2019s going on in your personal life. Why? \u201cStress can have many effects on the body<\/a> and the mind,\u201d Dr. Jonathan Kerr, a family physician and the president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, explained to Best Health<\/em>. \u201cIf your physician is not aware of what\u2019s going on in your life, he or she can\u2019t do anything to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Relationship with Food: <\/strong>If you think that eating disorders only affect teens and twentysomethings, think again. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders<\/a>, approximately 13 percent of women over the age of 50 partake in eating disorder behaviours. At least one person dies from eating disorder every hour or so, so don\u2019t lie about habits like restricting, binging and purging, or laxative abuse if your doctor asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Strength of Your Memory: <\/strong>You can run from dementia, but you can\u2019t hide. By 2060, researchers<\/a> believe that some 13.9 million individuals 65 and older in the United States will be diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> and other dementias. The good news? While there isn\u2019t a cure yet for Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia, there are things that you can do to keep your mind sharp and healthy<\/a>, even after a diagnosis\u2014and the more forthright you are with your doctor about your memory issues, the faster you can start an appropriate treatment plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Water You Drink: <\/strong>Typical symptoms of dehydration include dry skin, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and muscle cramps. The problem? Symptoms like these are hardly life-threatening, so people will often ignore them instead of figuring out their cause. However, dehydration itself can be a life or death issue\u2014according to research from the Office of National Statistics<\/a>, 48 individuals in nursing homes died of dehydration in England and Wales between 2013 and 2017 alone. And since older individuals often have a difficult time distinguishing dehydration symptoms<\/a> from symptoms of aging, it\u2019s important to let your doctor know just how much water you\u2019re drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Hearing: <\/strong>Hear us out when we say that you should be honest with your doctor about how much you can (and can\u2019t) hear. Though you might feel ashamed to admit that your hearing isn\u2019t as sharp as it once was, you can take solace in the fact that approximately one-third of all adults between the ages of 65 and 74 suffer from some degree of hearing loss<\/a>. The sooner your healthcare provider knows about your aural impairment; the sooner they can work on finding you a remedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Visual Impairments: <\/strong>Get ready to see your optometrist more frequently than some of your friends once you hit 40. According to the American Optometric Association<\/a>, this is the age when people \u201cstart to have problems seeing clearly at close distances, especially when reading and working on the computer.\u201d Though it is possible to go through life squinting and struggling to see, failing to correct your vision can cause headaches and may even make you more prone to falling or accidents while driving\u2014and at the end of the day, feeling embarrassed for a few seconds is better than putting your safety in jeopardy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Compliance with Physical Therapy Recommendations: <\/strong>\u201dIt\u2019s important to be truthful about performing your physical therapy exercises because a diligent supervised physical therapy program can oftentimes help with the healing of an injury,\u201d explains Steve Yoon, M.D.<\/a>, a physiatrist and director of the Regenerative Sports and Joint Clinic at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute. \u201cNot rehabilitating frequently enough may not stimulate healing and it can also inhibit support and strength that is needed to compensate for an injury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losing Your Medication: <\/strong>Far too many patients lie to their doctors about \u201closing\u201d their pain medications because they\u2019ve taken more than the recommended dose and are now dependent on the drug. Not only is this illegal, but it\u2019s also wrong and \u201cdevelops a sense of mistrust between the patient and physician,\u201d says Dr. Yoon. In order to avoid this scenario, the physiatrist relies on \u201copen communication about the debilitating effects of pain and realistic expectations for pain control\u201d\u2014but in order to do this, his patients have to be just as honest with him as he is with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Fear of Going to the Doctor: <\/strong>Yes, even grown adults are allowed to be scared<\/a> of the doctor. In fact, with all of the maladies that plague the older population, one could argue that adults are even more<\/em> entitled to this fear! If you do get nervous about your visits to the doctor\u2019s office, though, make sure that you\u2019re honest about your worries so that you can address and possibly even overcome them. Otherwise, your provider might accidentally do something to make you even more afraid without realizing it, making you less likely to seek care when you need it in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Profession: <\/strong>Depending on what you do for a living; you might be putting yourself in harm\u2019s way without even knowing it. Flight attendants, for instance, are more likely to develop skin cancer and breast cancer, according to one study published in Environmental Health<\/em><\/a>. And workers who are regularly exposed to asbestos are much more at risk of developing mesothelioma, notes one study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Pets: <\/strong>Fido is just as relevant to your medical history as any other member of your family. Though our furry friends don\u2019t mean to, they can spread diseases to us<\/a> that range from ringworm and salmonellosis to leptospirosis and giardia. And if you have a good boy or girl at home, make sure you check out these 15 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Your Dog<\/a>. To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click here<\/a> to follow us on Instagram!<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[87,85,88,84,86],"class_list":["post-205614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-tips","tag-cancer","tag-diabetes","tag-heart-attacks","tag-hypertension","tag-smoking"],"yoast_head":"\nTHINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER LIE TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT AFTER 40 - Rays of Hope Support Initiative<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205614\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER LIE TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT AFTER 40 - Rays of Hope Support Initiative\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"TYou might not think much about lying to your doctor, but one tiny omission could be the difference between a proper diagnosis and an inaccurate prognosis. Your Past and Present Smoking Habits: The older you are, the more important it is that you inform your doctor about your smoking habits. 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Your Past and Present Smoking Habits: The older you are, the more important it is that you inform your doctor about your smoking habits. 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