Admit it: You haven’t been to the doctor in a really long time. You had your reasons. Perhaps you told yourself you don’t have time, or you’re simply afraid of what you might find out if you go. Your doctor could give you bad news, right?
Going to the doctor may not be on the top of your to-do list, but for compelling reasons, it should be. Regular, consistent healthcare can help catch small problems before they become serious health issues. It pays to see your doctor regularly, not just when a problem becomes so unbearable that you’re desperate and it’s not easily treatable.
Here’s what you can do now to get back in gear and overcome these four barriers to preventive care.
You Think You Don’t Have Time to Go to the Doctor
Time is precious, and you may not be able to take time off from work and a busy schedule to sneak in preventive care visits. But the time you spend now can keep you from getting sick later on and dealing with complications of serious diseases. For example, delay in dealing with the abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, afib, causes worse long term outcomes and puts you at risk for stroke and heart failure.
When you do go to the doctor, be prepared so you can make the best use of your time and your doctor’s. Put together a list of questions reflecting your most important health concerns, and ask what tests you might need, what the results will mean, and when you will receive them.
You’re Afraid to Go to the Doctor
Fear of doctors or of bad health news is a barrier to preventive care for some people, sometimes because of bad experiences in the past, or because you have an anxiety disorder that makes it hard for you to get to the doctor, such as:
Claustrophobia, which is anxiety about being in a small space like a waiting or exam room
Agoraphobia, or fear of leaving your home
Social phobia, which could include fear of doctors and medical care
People may not recognize that they have a social anxiety disorder and may rearrange their schedules and plans to avoid a feared meeting, according to Charles Goodstein, MD, professor of psychiatry at New York University Langone Medical Center. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that long-term cancer survivors were over three times as likely to have medical phobia, compared with other patients. The good news is that anxiety and most phobias respond well to treatment with medication or counselling, if you reach out for help.
Take steps now to get on the right path for good health in the years to come.
For some, unhealthy habits you can’t shake may keep you from seeking care — for example, if you’re afraid that your doctor will be disappointed or disapproving about your weight or smoking, or you just don’t want to hear the message again because you don’t know what to do to change these habits. But the truth is your doctor may have new options to recommend for losing weight, and one of the newer smoking cessation medications could help you give up cigarettes.
Overcoming trepidation and keeping up with your preventive healthcare visits is important so that you don’t miss out on routine screenings, like your hepatitis C screening — now recommended once for everyone born between the years of 1945 and 1965. And even if you haven’t been able to lose weight or stop smoking, getting your annual flu vaccine, and a tetanus diphtheria booster every 10 years will protect you from potentially serious diseases down the road. Taking these steps now will get you on the right path for good health in the years to come.