Most of us have stretched the truth at a doctor’s appointment, but we’re not fooling them.
According to a University of Utah study, anywhere from 60% to 80% of adults lie to their doctors about lifestyle habits like how much they drink and how much they exercise.
Some are afraid of being judged or lectured, but whatever the reason, being dishonest with the person in charge of your medical care can be downright dangerous for your health, plus, it only makes a doctor’s job harder.
Dr. Katie Freeman, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, says doctors really don’t care, they just need the information. “We don’t have time to judge people,” she explains. “We really want to know so that we can figure out what that next step looks like.”
Doctors say they really want patients to stop lying about these things:
- Not taking your medication - This is a pretty common problem, as research shows as many as half of people on statins to lower cholesterol stop taking it or don’t take it as prescribed. Doctors can’t treat you correctly if they don’t have all the information, so if you quit taking a medication for any reason, let them know.
- If you’re uncomfortable with a treatment plan - If you’re not willing to follow through with a treatment plan or are nervous about a procedure, letting the doctor know is essential.
- Lifestyle habits like exercise and diet - We tend to downplay what we’re not proud of, like never hitting the gym and eating fast food five times a week, but if your doctor doesn’t know, they can’t advise you on what you actually need to be doing.
- Drinking, smoking and drugs - This is a big one people stretch the truth on, whether they mean to or not. Maybe they just underestimate how many drinks they have or how much pot they smoke, or they’re afraid of being judged, but doctors need to know the truth since substance use can affect everything from sleep quality to cancer risk.
- Bathroom habits - People don’t like to talk about “embarrassing” things like their pee and poop, or a weird rash, but these are important for doctors to know about as well.
- Your sexual health - Whether it’s erectile dysfunction or pain when having sex, a doctor may be able to help, but only if you’re honest about what’s going on with you.
Source: HuffPost
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