5 things one should avoid before visiting a doctor
Whether starting with a new doctor or revisiting the old doctor, one must avoid doing certain things before visiting the doctor. For example, one must avoid wearing any kind of metal while going for a scan or eating before going for an ultrasound. Taking care of things like this can help a person get accurate results. It is best to make a note of the concerns one needs the doctor to address.
5 things to avoid before a doctor’s appointment
Avoid drinking coffee before checking blood pressure
A person must avoid drinking coffee before visiting a doctor to get accurate results during a check-up. Consuming coffee or any beverage that contains caffeine, including energy drinks or colas, can cause blood pressure to be incorrectly higher. The same holds for over-the-counter decongestants.
Reduce salt intake before going to the doctor
While some people seek comfort foods like chocolate and other sweets when worried, others choose comfort foods like potato chips. If one is visiting the doctor for managing hypertension, salty snacks is one thing a person must avoid before visiting the doctor.
High blood pressure, often known as hypertension, has been related to severe health problems such as heart attacks and strokes. Consumption of salty foods leads to a spike in blood pressure. If one does not have foods with low-sodium content before the doctor’s appointment, one’s blood pressure may get boosted, leading to inadequate test results.
Avoid wearing deodorant before a mammogram
Ladies having a mammogram should avoid using powder, deodorant, or antiperspirant on the day of the test. These can show up on x-rays as white spots. Even if this is clarified later, imagine the pain and stress it will give a person and their loved ones to think of testing positive for cancer. One must thoroughly wash one’s underarms before getting dressed for a mammogram to ensure no deodorant residue remains.
Avoid eating before certain blood tests
Doctors use blood tests to check for various possible health concerns a person may be facing. Though not all blood tests require fasting conditions, certain blood tests require a person to come for testing on an empty stomach condition. For example, a fasting blood glucose test requires a person to fast for at least 8 to 10 hours.
Do not eat before an ultrasound without checking with the doctor
Though ultrasound is generally considered a way to monitor pregnancy, this procedure is also used to check a person’s liver, eyes, pancreas, bladder, reproductive parts, etc. If a person’s ultrasound is focused on the abdomen area, one needs to fast for at least 10 to 12 hours, as the food passing through the digestive tract may not allow the doctor to get a clear picture of the organs in the abdomen area.
