According to one study, more than 30% of diagnostic errors cause serious injury or death, and the reason for some of them is patient wrongdoing. Therefore, when looking for a doctor, it is important to remember that the quality of the examination depends not only on the professional but on you as well.
We put together a list of tips that can help you avoid diagnostic inaccuracies and stay healthy.
Simple Tips To Improve Your Health
1. Don’t Get A mani-pedi Before Visiting The Dermatologist
Dermatologists treat more than 3,000 diseases. During a full examination, the doctor should examine not only your skin but also your nails. After all, many yeast infections are usually found there. It is very important for a doctor to see the natural state of your nails.
Also, any changes in the nails can indicate diseases of other organs, so try to pay enough attention to them.
2. Don’t Drink Alcohol Before A Cholesterol Test
Even though beer and spirits do not contain cholesterol-free, they contain too much sugar and substances called carbohydrates, which can cause a sharp jump in cholesterol in the body.
Your cholesterol level will soon return to normal, but your doctor may receive incorrect results.
3. Don’t Get Too Thirsty Before A Urine Test
Human urine is 99% water and only 1% acid, ammonia, hormones, dead blood cells, proteins, and other substances used for research. As you can see, the concentration is very low.
Therefore, if you supply 100 ml of urine, approximately 1 ml will be suitable for analysis. Drink more water a few hours before the test to make sure you are producing enough urine.
4. Don’t Use Deodorant Before A Mammogram
The ban on the use of deodorant before a mammogram is related to its composition since it contains small metallic substances. During the procedure, it is easy to mistake these metals for calcifications, which is a sign of cancer development. The results will not only be incorrect but will also make you nervous.
5. Do Not Eat Red Food Before Getting A Colonoscopy
Natural red food can color your colon and affect the result of the study. Among the products that you must discard at least a week before the colonoscopy, beets, blueberries, red candies, red icing, red licorice, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
You should also remember that this does not mean that different colored products can be consumed before going to the doctor. The day before the medical procedure, you should eat only clear, liquid food.
6. Do Not Eat A Salty Meal Before Having A Blood Pressure Test
The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt per day. Among other harmful effects, it contributes to the increase in blood pressure.
Therefore, before the test, you should not eat fast food, nuts, beans, or other products that contain a lot of salt. Otherwise, the results may be falsely high.
7. Do Not Take Medicine Before Having A Blood Test
A few days before the test, to obtain a more accurate result, you must refuse to take drugs, so that your blood has time to cleanse and is not influenced by external factors.
As for the prescribed pills for mandatory daily use, doctors often say that they should not be taken in the morning before giving blood and then taken immediately after the test. But, in each specific case, it is better to discuss this matter in advance with the specialist.
8. Don’t Change Your Daily Schedule
Our body is a stable system that requires a certain amount of time to adapt to new regimes. For example, travelers use the universal rule that flying only one-time zone will require approximately 2 days of recovery.
It turns out that when you go to bed an hour later than normal, your body is already experiencing stress, which affects your general condition and different body indexes.
The same applies to other natural processes, such as nutrition, water consumption, and stress levels.
9. Do Not Use Creams, Lubricants, Or Tampons Before A Pap Test
A Pap test is one of the most important tests to determine the health of the female organs. Doctors recommend doing it every 3 years. As the study area is very sensitive and irritable to external factors, remember the following rules:
- Do not insert tampons for 48 hours before the Pap test.
- Do not apply creams and lubricants for 48 hours before your pap smear.
- Do not use spermicides for 48 hours before a smear.
- Do not shower vaginally for 72 hours before your smear.
10. Do Not Surf The Internet Before Visiting An Ophthalmologist
Constant eye fatigue can indicate serious problems and requires special attention. But this state can also happen temporarily due to prolonged use of devices. For several hours, until your eyes rest, your sight may become worse than it really is.
If you go to the ophthalmologist to obtain a medical certificate at work or driving school, you must show your best result. Here is a list of symptoms that may help indicate eye fatigue. If you have them, you should postpone the visit to the doctor for a while to get an accurate result.
- The feeling that you can’t keep your eyes open
- Burning or itchy eyes
- Blurred or double vision
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Headaches
Have you ever had to postpone a visit to the doctor due to wrong preparatory actions? Share your advice on what is best not to do before going to the doctor.
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