The Most Important Medical Advice You Will Ever Receive

*Updated 8/1/2020

The internet is overflowing with health and medical advice. Some of it is good, a lot of it less so, and some of it is downright dangerous. We will always try to provide you with the best-researched information and news on our website, social media, and newsletter. No matter what else you read this is the single most important piece of medical advice you will ever receive, here or anywhere else.

Follow your doctor’s advice and recommendations over everything you read online or hear from your friends.

Find a doctor you trust

It is important that you find a medical professional that you trust. Your doctor should be someone that listens to you and who takes your concerns seriously. They should also be someone who is willing to tell you the hard truths that you need to hear.

The perfect doctor for you is going to be different than for someone else. Take the time to think about what is important to you. Summer wrote about her struggle with her Recovery After Hysterectomy, it was very important that as she was going through that process she was comfortable letting her doctor know exactly how she was feeling both physically and emotionally.

The doctor you choose should be open to your diet and lifestyle. Setting these expectations early can help to avoid problems down the line.

Once you find a good doctor that you trust, talk to them openly and honestly. It is common for people to hold back but it is crucial that your doctor has all the details so that they can provide the best advice. Don’t worry about judged, medical practitioners are professionals who have heard and seen everything already.

A doctor who is familiar with your medical history and goals can ensure that you don’t make any mistakes and stay healthy. Please don’t make the mistake of changing your fitness routine, diet, or medications without first consulting your doctor.

Finding a doctor you can trust is crucial

Additional resources on picking the right doctor

4 steps to find the provider that’s right for you from HealthCare.gov
Five tips for choosing a new primary care physician HealthGrades.com – A doctor & dentist review portal.
Five tips for choosing a new primary care physician HealthGrades.com – A doctor & dentist review portal.

Self Educate

We strongly believe that educating yourself about your health and fitness is important. That is the reason that we run this site and hopefully, it’s the reason you are here. When it comes to being healthy and staying fit knowledge is power.

Most likely we don’t need to tell you this but it is important to be critical of the source of any information on the internet. Be cautious of shady sources who are trying to sell you something or misinform you. It’s easy to get important medical advice online, but try and stick with reputable organizations and sites that are looking out for your best interest.

There is an overwhelming number of resources on the internet where you can learn about health and fitness. Of course, this website is one that we recommend but it is best to get your education from more than one site. Below is a short list of excellent resources for self-education.

Here are some sites we highly recommend for online research

National Institutes of Health
Patient Care and Health Information From Mayo Clinic
Family Doctor.org From American Academy of Family Physicians
Medline Plus

And here are some sites we use when researching drugs and supplements

National Institute of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements
DailyMed – For Medicines

Those sites are all professional medical organizations and their content isn’t always the easiest to find or read. We are working on a list of blogs and YouTube channels that we can recommend. When we finish putting it together we will link it here as well. Feel free to send us suggestions if you have a favorite site.

Be your own best advocate

Your medical professional is an expert with all the education and experience in the world. There is a reason you’re paying them. Even with all that under their belt, no one knows you better than you do.

Make sure and be your own best advocate and ensure that you are receiving the level of care you need. Make sure that your doctor is spending quality time with you and listening to your concerns.

The bottom line is that it’s your body, your health, and your life on the line. Do not forget that the final decision is always yours. Do not let yourself be pressured into any medical procedure you are not comfortable with or do not understand.

Below is a small collection of resources on self-advocacy that we found helpful.

Be your own health advocate by Martin Downs, MPH
The complete guide to becoming your own medical advocate by Regan Chastain
Being your own patient advocate

Keep a List Of Concerns and Questions

Unless you’re a compulsive list maker it might seem weird but make a list of your medical concerns and questions ahead of time. Doctors offices are stressful and appointments are rushed. Keeping a list will ensure that when you see your doctor next you won’t forget anything.

We recommend keeping this list on your phone. If you do then it is always with you when you think of something to add and you’re almost guaranteed to have it with you when you go to your appointment. In addition, there is a bit more privacy doing it this way than keeping it on paper.

Another pro for having it on your phone is that you can update it easily while with your Dr. when they give you important medical advice.

If you are a person that has a chronic illness, or you are experiencing new or worsening symptoms that you are concerned about. It’s important to keep track of those. There are several apps that you can do this with on your phone.

Summer has migraines and tracks them using Migraine Buddy, when she was diabetic she used an app to track her blood sugars, and there are many more. Most of them have a download feature so that you can send the information to your doctor.

Of course, if you don’t want to use an app to track these, there are many health journals and symptom trackers that you can buy to manually keep track of what’s going on. I know that many people like to write things down and keep it with them and that’s absolutely fine as well.

Take Advantage of Patient Advocacy Resources

There are many resources available to you that can assist you with advocacy. Hospitals, clinics, and doctors often provide them and there are independent agencies as well. Take the time to get familiar with the resources you have and reach out to them. They are indispensable for important medical advice.

Patient advocacy organizations, also known as voluntary health organizations are normally focused on particular diseases, disabilities, or groups of people. A quick Google search is normally the best way to find what is available to you in your area. If you have insurance your health insurance provider might also be a good resource.

Sign Up For Your Doctors Patient Portal

Many doctors offices and hospitals offer websites for their patients. Typically these will allow you to access your medical records, view test results, and more. Find out if your doctor’s office or hospital has one and get signed up if they do.

Being able to review your test results at your own pace outside of the pressure of the doctors’ office is very helpful. In addition to being less stressful, you can also use the internet to find out what each test means. Then when you follow up with your doctor you will be prepared to ask the right questions.

What Advice Would You Give?

Those are our most important pieces of health and fitness advice for you. We would love to hear your thoughts about important medical advice you would like to share. Reach out to us on social media and let us know so that we can add them (with credit of course) to the article.

Hopefully, you found this article helpful. If so we would love it if you would share it with your friends and family.