Over 30% of misdiagnoses result in serious injury or death, according to a study, and the reason for some of these are patients’ wrongdoing. So when going to the doctor, it’s important to remember that the quality of the examination depends not only on the professional but on you as well.
Trends has put together a list of tips that can help you avoid diagnostic inaccuracies and stay healthy.
1. Don’t get a mani-pedi before visiting the dermatologist.
Dermatologists treat more than 3,000 diseases. During a full examination, the doctor should examine not only your skin but also your nails. After all, many fungal infections are usually located there. It’s very important for a doctor to see the natural state of your nails.
Moreover, any changes in the nails may indicate diseases of other organs, so try to give them enough attention.
2. Don’t drink alcohol before a cholesterol test.
Despite the fact that beer and spirits are cholesterol-free, they contain a lot of sugar as well as substances called carbohydrates which can cause a sharp jump of cholesterol in the body.
Soon, your cholesterol level will return to normal, but the doctor may receive incorrect results.
3. Don’t get too thirsty before a urine test.
Human urine is 99% water and only 1% acid, ammonia, hormones, dead blood cells, protein, and other substances that are used for research. As you can see, the concentration is very low. So if you provide 100 ml of urine, approximately 1 ml of it is suitable for analysis. Drink more water a few hours before the test to make sure you produce enough urine.
4. Don’t use deodorant before a mammogram.
The ban on the use of deodorant before a mammogram is related to its composition since it contains small metallic substances. During the procedure, it’s easy to mistake these metals for calcifications, which is a sign of cancer developing. The results will not only be wrong, but they’ll make you pretty nervous.
5. Don’t eat red food before getting a colonoscopy.
Natural red food can color your colon and affect the outcome of the study. Among the products you should discard at least one week before your colonoscopy are beets, cranberries, red candy, red frosting, red licorice, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
You should also remember that this doesn’t mean that products of a different color can be consumed before going to the doctor. The day before the medical procedure, you should eat only clear, liquid foods.
6. Don’t eat a salty meal before having a blood pressure test.
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