How You Can Be the Best Advocate for Your Own Health

Advocating for your health means more than just being aware of your health status. Rather, it's about being vocal regarding issues that concern you if your diagnosis does not sit right with you. To help, the experts at Doctor’s Choice offer some tips on how you can be the best advocate for your own health.

Prepare for your doctor's appointments

While it may not seem like the most obvious thing to do, it can be helpful to prepare for your doctor's appointment ahead of time so that you can bring up any issues and concerns that bother you that might not be addressed in the consultation itself.

Consider saving your medical records as PDFs on your phone or iPad so you can access your documents and share them with the doctor if needed. This way you’ll be able to access and share important files and documents as you’re out and about, including during a doctor’s office visit. Plus, because the documents are on your device, you don’t need Wi-Fi to access them. To keep all your files on one PDF, take a look at an online conversion tool that will allow you to convert files into PDFs that you can then merge into a single file..

Keep a record of their findings

Here, we are referring to keeping a record of your medical documents for your reference. They are also good to keep should you need to transfer them to your next doctor or specialist upon referral.

Find the right healthcare provider for you

If you want to take ownership of your health, then finding the right healthcare provider for you might be a step in the right direction. Firstly, consult with your health insurance scheme to find out which doctors fall within your primary care network. Then you can check their experience and qualifications to help you make the best choice possible.

Consider health supplements

Taking health supplements can be a great way to support your overall health. Supplements provide essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs, as well as other compounds with potential health benefits. These supplies can help fill any nutritional gaps in your diet and may help improve overall wellness. They may also be used to reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, regulate hormones, or balance cholesterol levels. Taking health supplements can be an easy and effective way to ensure that you are getting the necessary nutrition for optimal health. Be sure to check with your physician first before taking anything that might conflict with current medications.

Look into long-term care

Suppose you need to look into long-term care if you have a chronic condition. Then it may be helpful to look into nursing facilities as preparation for when you need round-the-clock care. However, before you do decide on one, just be sure to do your research regarding their payment options and what their facilities are about in their facility reports (which you can often find on their website). Don't forget to read up on reviews, too, to get an accurate idea of what it's actually like to live there from people who have been there and done that, so to speak.

Making better choices regarding your health

Certainly, it's better to make wiser choices regarding your health from the get-go to help avoid health problems from cropping up later. For example, Healthline notes that you can choose to eat healthier now by following a healthy, nutrient-rich diet to help reduce the likelihood of chronic conditions such as high cholesterol or diabetes, for instance.

Mayo Clinic points out that another example is choosing to make exercise a part of your daily life, come what may. So, for example, if you are usually too busy during the day to step out and take a break to exercise, you can make a point of finding ways to get exercise in the unlikeliest of places, such as taking the stairs rather than the elevator. Or maybe you could choose to step out for a quick jog during your lunch break or cycle to work if it's not that far.

Certainly, being a better advocate for your health and staying on top of your health every step of the way, from how you exercise to how you eat to what doctor you decide to use - the choice is yours and yours entirely.

Image via Pexels