What exactly does “family history” mean when a doctor asks you that?
Question by Kally: What exactly does “family history” mean when a doctor asks you that?
LIke they wanted to know if a specific condition runs in my family. Do they only want to know about my parents, brothers and sisters? Or do they want beyond that? Like my aunt from my moms side had it, and my dad’s Cousin had it too but not sure if that’s not what they wanna know. Help?
Best answer:
Answer by Marshall H
the doctor wants to know about all family beyond just parents and siblings and so forth. want to know what all family members have had because then they may beable to find out if it is something you may have or get medical wise
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
3 Comments
Any conditions that are in your blood line that can be genetic. Grand parents, and great grand parents are more important than uncles and aunts cousins etc. The closer they are to you in blood the more important.
They ask about cancer …. heart conditions anything they may have had. Its usually only immediate family plus grandparents on both sides. Family history >>> They mean medical history to see what diseases or medical conditions that runs in your family. It gives the doctor an idea of what medical history that might have a reflect on you. Example >>>> My grandmother on my Dads side died of ductal incarinoma. Later on in years I was diagnosed with it so medical history plays an important part in your overall health.
When doing a History & Exam” on a patient the doctor wants to know about your father’s family & mother’s family for many diseases do run in the family (genetic diseases). Some things they watch for are cancer, heart, diabetes, lung (like asthma), genetic (like Huntington’s ) and allergies for many of these are also passed on. In some cancers (like breast cancer common with females closely related who have breast cancer ( it make you prone to also have it). It gives them an idea if you have the same problems. Heart disease (like heart attacks with males who get it in their 40s) are very common in families. These things are just things that do run in family members.