6 questions to always ask your doctor

Your healthcare provider (HCP) is a wealth of knowledge, brimming with information to share with you. But it can be tough to cover every aspect of your health in a single office visit. That’s why coming prepared with a list of questions is invaluable. 

"Your doctor is very interested in making sure you reach your optimum health," says Joe Llenos, MD, a doctor of family medicine in Homer, Alaska. He pinpoints six questions everyone should ask during their next checkup.

Routine visits to your primary care physician, as well as other specialists, can help keep your health on track. But how you take care of yourself between visits is important, too. A healthy lifestyle can protect against illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, which in combination with other chronic conditions, affect about half of all adults in the United States and cost more than 2 trillion dollars a year.  

There are proven—and expert-recommended—methods to reduce your disease risk, including:

• A diet rich in fresh produce, lean sources of protein, healthy fats, and whole grains
• Plenty of physical activity
• Avoiding tobacco 
• Not drinking alcohol to excess
• Avoiding illicit drug use

A healthy diet and regular exercise can help keep extra pounds at bay, as well. Excess weight has been linked to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers. 

Getting adequate sleep and managing stress can also help you prevent disease. Stress can be normal, but it's important to keep it under control, since chronic or long-lasting tension can hurt your health, says Llenos. Excess stress can increase your risk for a number of mental and physical health problems, including anxiety, depression, heart disease, and weight gain, which lends itself to other complications.   

We can't always prevent stress, but we can dictate how we deal with it. Some stress busters are simpler than you think, including 30 minutes of your favorite exercise, deep breathing, meditating, and talking to a friend or family member. Getting enough sleep can also help relieve stress. 

Too little sleep not only affects your mood—it can affect your physical well-being. Research has linked inadequate sleep to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Getting the recommended seven to nine nightly hours may be tough, but sleep hygiene techniques can help you snooze more soundly. Putting yourself on a sleep schedule, skipping large meals close to bedtime, nixing caffeine before bed and creating a nighttime sanctuary—a bedroom that's dark, cool, and free from electronics—are all proven ways to help you get some shuteye.

Routine screenings help detect health problems before they become serious. So, being regularly checked for common conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and colon and breast cancers is recommended. "At each stage of life, there are certain preventive screenings recommended to optimize your health," Llenos says. 

Screening recommendations vary by age, sex, and family and medical history, so it's best to consult your HCP routinely about health tests. Both men and women can benefit from blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, colon cancer, and sexually transmitted infection checks. Mammograms, bone density scans, and Pap tests are recommended for women at particular ages or those with an increased risk of specific conditions. Men should also discuss prostate cancer screenings with their HCP.

You can play an active role in your health by discussing which screenings could benefit you and when it might be best to have them. 

Immunizations are another way to help prevent disease, and children aren't the only ones who need them. Based on your age, medical history, and previous vaccinations, your HCP can recommend the right inoculations for you. For instance:

• Unless otherwise indicated by your HCP, all adults and children should receive an annual flu shot. Ask your HCP about a shot for COVID, as well.
• Adults who aren’t immunized against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis in childhood should receive the adult version of the vaccine, followed by the Td booster every 10 years. 
• Healthy adults aged 50 and older should speak with a provider about the shingles vaccine. Shingles is an infection caused by the same virus as chickenpox; it affects one in every three Americans and results in a painful, blistery rash. 
• Adults aged 75 and over should receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. Adults between the ages of 60 and 74 who are at higher risk should also get the shot; ask an HCP about your status.

Depending on certain factors, you may also receive the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella; or the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; and the pneumococcal vaccine—at age 65 or earlier for those with certain risks or conditions.  

Review your immunization and medical history with your HCP, who can help you build a safe and effective vaccination schedule. 

The out-of-pocket cost of your HCP’s visit and any subsequent treatment are determined by a host of factors like existing conditions, services—including tests and x-rays—and your insurance coverage. Most health insurance covers some services, but patients are often left responsible for a portion of medical fees. Those without healthcare coverage have a larger burden to bear. Financial assistance may be available to those without insurance or who need help paying for services insurance won’t cover. 

"Keep in mind doctors are there to help you optimize your health and well-being," Llenos says—and this sometimes means recommending services and treatments that may not be covered by insurance. Since policies vary, it's important to review your benefits to determine which tests, medications, and services your insurer will take care of—in full or in part. Discuss the cost of your medical care with your HCP, who can help you determine which procedures and screenings are necessary, and who may be able to recommend financial assistance.  

As you're wrapping up your HCP visit, speak with your provider about follow-up appointments. Even healthy adults should see a primary HCP once every year or two—depending on your age and sex—and more frequently if you have conditions that need monitoring. Talk to your physician about which you need and how often.      

To help you keep track of information, included recommended screenings and follow-up visits, ask your provider if you can jot down some notes, or bring a friend or relative to help you remember.