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Your doctor should ask a lot of detailed questions about your general health habits, like how much you smoke or drink now, or if you were a heavy consumer in the past, it’s important for you to be as accurate with your answers as possible. Don’t underestimate your past consumption just because you want to “look good” to the physician.
Some physicians ask their patients to fill out a questionnaire. Your answers help your doctor determine what issues are particularly important. Something essential and unique to your situation may not be covered in detail on the questionnaire, so if you have concerns that aren’t addressed, write them down or tell the doctor directly.
You should always let your doctor know about any present or past medical illness, even if it’s not bothering you right now; any surgery you’ve had; and any injuries you’ve suffered, especially to the back or pelvic area.
You should expect to be asked in great detail about the specifics of your problem. This information can be crucial to making a correct diagnosis and providing the best treatment for you. That’s why if s vital that you feel comfortable talking with the doctor you select.
Your wife can also provide valuable information, and some doctors now ask or even insist that married patients bring their spouses. Your wife may recall certain details you forget, and she has a different perspective to offer. Making up a list of questions to ask the doctor can be a joint project that will help keep the lines of communication open between you and your wife.
If there is information you prefer not to share with your wife (for example, if you’re able to have an erection with another woman, you might not want your wife to know), make sure you do tell your doctor over the telephone or when you are alone with him. “My doctor knows things about me nobody else does,” one man told us.
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