More often than not, your family’s health history determines the health risks that you’re prone to. By keeping track of your family’s health history, you can minimize the risk of serious illnesses immensely.
Want to know how to find out your family’s health background and use the information for your benefit?
These tips will help you out.
Interview Your Immediate Family
The best source that will tell you about your family’s history is your family itself. Start by questioning your parents because it’s their genes that you have and are most likely to develop the same medical conditions as them. They may not remember a lot of details, especially about minor health problems. But try your best to make them brainstorm.
Next, move onto your grandparents and siblings. If your siblings are younger than you, you’ve probably seen their health transform in front of you. But you still shouldn’t skip their interviews. If your siblings are older and have kids, talk to your nieces and nephews too. Make sure to find out at what age their health issues were diagnosed.
Talk to Your Extended Family
Certain health issues go beyond the immediate family. Therefore, your next step to figuring out your family’s health history is to talk to your extended family. Chronic diseases tend to affect distant relations too.
Issues like heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol, etc. may even be related to your geographical ancestry. So, other than your cousins, aunts, and uncles, look into your entire family ancestry. Did the area that your ancestors come from ever got attacked by a particular disease? Similarly, lookout for signs of cancer, strokes, and other high-risk medical conditions.
Track All Information
While you’re questioning everybody and researching your background, don’t forget to make a record of all the details. Use an online tool. There are plenty of options to save all your family data. An organized, online record will stay safe forever. Moreover, you can conveniently share this information with the rest of your family and your doctor as well.
Get In Touch With A Family Doctor
With all the information you’ve gathered, it’s now time to head to a doctor. If you have a family doctor who has been dealing with the rest of your family, visit this professional. Also, if your parents suffered from a specific condition such as hearing loss, it’s wise to consult an ENT doctor in Plano.
If any member of your family has experienced a chronic disease, you’re at great risk too. Therefore, you should go for a doctor or clinic that specializes in the health field that you’re concerned about.
How To Minimize The Risk Of Developing Health Issues
Don’t despair if any of your family members is diagnosed with an illness that’s hereditary. The good news is that you can act proactively to combat any such disease. Here are a few scenarios and what you can do in each one:
- Cancer: any type of cancer in your family, immediate or extended, should not be taken lightly. That’s especially true if the cancer was diagnosed before the age of 50. Immediately consult a doctor. They’ll prescribe some preventative medicines and further treatment.
- Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes in the family puts you at risk of type 2 diabetes at an early age. Your doctor will provide a monitored diet chart to reduce the chances.
- Heart diseases: A family history of heart issues requires you to include physical exercise in your everyday routine. Also, keep your weight and diet in check.
- Osteoporosis: There is a high chance that you have weak bones if someone from your immediate family does too. Any fractures in the family are a sign for you to get a screening. This problem usually arises after the age of 50. Therefore, it’s better to share your family health history with the Freehold Orthopedic Surgery specialist before it’s too late.
- Liver problems: Hereditary hemochromatosis is a disorder that affects the liver. It’s a hereditary disease so if anyone in your family has been affected, you need to start controlling your body’s iron level immediately.
The Takeaway
With all this information and tips, you can move towards a risk-free and healthy life! Besides, you should never compromise on the choice of doctors because it is literally a matter of life and death. These professionals will not only help you figure out your health status keeping in mind the information you gathered, but they’ll also understand your family background better.
About The Author:
My name is Wahab. My interest is sharing different ideas and tips. I like to share ideas and as a result, I would be delighted to hear from you.
