Diseases & Conditions Archive

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor — Bell's Palsy

Updated February 1, 2017

Bell's Palsy

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you have weakness or paralysis of the muscles in your face?
Can you still raise your eyebrows?
Can you close your eyelids?
Have you had ear pain? If so, on which side?
Are your eyes watery?
Have you noticed any change in your sense of taste?
Have you had problems hearing?
Have you had problems chewing?
Over what period of time did your symptoms develop?
Have you had a recent upper respiratory tract infection (for example, a cold)?
Could you have had a tick bite in the recent past?
Do you have diabetes?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Neurological exam focusing on the strength of the facial muscles
Examination of the ears, nose, and throat

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Blood tests for blood sugar and possibly Lyme disease
Hearing test (if you report difficulty hearing)
MRI computed tomography (CT) of the head (if your history and exam are concerning for a stroke or tumor)

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Crohn's Disease

Updated February 1, 2017

Crohn's Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you have abdominal pain or cramping?
Do you have diarrhea, fevers, fatigue, rectal pain, or bloody stools?
Have you recently lost weight?
Is there a family history of inflammatory bowel disease?
How many times a year do you get pain flare-ups?
Do you have episodes of joint pain or swelling?
Are you taking any medications?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Temperature, blood pressure, heart rate
Careful abdominal exam
Rectal exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy
Stool sample to look for the presence of blood, white blood cells, and to culture
Complete blood count and other blood tests
CT scan or MRI of the abdomen

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Gallstones

Updated February 1, 2017

Gallstones

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you have pain in the mid- or upper-right portion of your abdomen?
Do fatty meals worsen the pain?
Does the pain occur after eating?
Do you have nausea, vomiting, or bloating?
Does the pain ever go through to your back?
Is the pain steady or intermittent?
Have you had fevers?
How long does it take for the pain to go away?
Do you take any medications (for example, birth-control pills or hormone therapy)?
Have you had any rapid weight loss?
Have you noticed darkening of your urine or yellowing of the eyes?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Abdominal exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Blood tests of liver function
Complete blood count
Abdominal ultrasound
Cholescintigraphy (HIDA scan)

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Updated February 1, 2017

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you get a burning sensation in your chest or throat after eating?
Do you ever have a bitter or sour taste in your mouth?
Do you ever have bloating or nausea after you eat?
How often do you get these symptoms?
What do you do to relieve the symptoms?
Are the symptoms related to physical exertion?
Are the symptoms worse when you are lying down or sitting up?
Have you noticed any black stools?
Do you have a persistent cough?
Do you have a history of ulcer disease?
Are you taking any medications, especially ones that can irritate the esophagus or stomach, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or tetracycline?
Do you drink alcohol or smoke?
How soon after you eat at night do you go to bed?
Have you tried any over-the-counter medications? If so, do they help?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Chest and lung exam
Abdominal exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Upper endoscopy (internal examination of the esophagus and stomach)
pH probe (to assess the acid level in the esophagus and stomach)
Manometry (to measure the pressure of the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach)
Stool testing for blood
Complete blood cell count

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Hearing Loss

Updated February 1, 2017

Hearing Loss

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Is your hearing loss on one side or both?
For how long have you noticed the problem?
Has your hearing loss been getting worse over time?
Do you have difficulty understanding other people when they speak?
Do you say "what?" a lot?
When you turn on the television, do others say that it is too loud?
Have you had any kind of ear surgery?
Have you flown in an airplane recently?
Do other people in your family have trouble hearing?
Do you hear ringing in your ears?
Do you suffer from dizziness or loss of coordination?
Have you had multiple ear infections in the past?
Do you currently have an upper respiratory infection (for example, a cold) or other infection?
Have you had any head injuries or strokes in the past?
Are you taking any medications?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Examine your ears, nose, and throat.
Test your balance, coordination, and walking.

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Test your ability to hear.
Formal hearing testing by an audiologist (hearing specialist)

Heart Health

When You Visit Your Doctor - Peripheral Artery Disease

Updated January 30, 2017

Peripheral Artery Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you develop pain, cramps, aches, fatigue, or numbness in your leg muscles when you walk?
At what distance do you develop symptoms?
Do they go away when you stop walking?
Do you ever develop these symptoms at rest?
Do you have decreased sensation in your feet?
If you are a man, do you have erectile dysfunction?
Are you doing everything possible to modify the risk factors that can worsen this disease (smoking cessation, treating elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, and controlling diabetes)?
Are you exercising regularly and at progressively more strenuous levels?
Are you taking an aspirin every day?
If you have diabetes, do you practice meticulous foot care (cleaning, applying moisturizing lotions, and wearing well-fitting protective shoes)?
Do you know when to seek emergency medical care for peripheral artery disease (if your leg becomes suddenly painful, pale, cold and numb)?
Do you get chest pain or pressure with exertion or at rest? If so, you may have coronary artery disease.
Do you have sudden brief episodes of blindness (like a shade being pulled over your eyes) or sudden episodes of weakness in an arm or leg, or difficulty speaking? These could be warning symptoms of stroke.

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Heart rate, blood pressure, and weight
Pulses in your feet and groin, and behind your knees
Listen with the stethoscope over your carotid arteries in your neck
Heart and lungs
Neurologic exam (reflexes and sensation in your legs)
Muscles (looking for atrophy in leg muscles)
Skin, looking for changes related to reduced circulation

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Blood tests, including glucose and cholesterol levels
Ultrasound of your carotid arteries
Doppler Ankle-Arm Indices
Exercise Stress Test
MRI/MRA
Angiography

Women's Health

When You Visit Your Doctor - Vaginitis

Updated January 30, 2017

Vaginitis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

How long have you had this vaginal discomfort?
Does it itch or burn?
Do you have vaginal discharge? Does it have a bad odor? What is the consistency?
Are you pregnant?
Are you sexually active?
Is sexual intercourse painful?
Do you have pain or burning with urination?
Are you urinating more frequently?
Do you have urinary incontinence?
Are you post-menopausal?
Do you have vaginal dryness?
Do you have diabetes?
Have you recently taken antibiotics or corticosteroids?
Is your immune system suppressed in any way?
Do you take birth-control pills?
Do you wear tight pants or synthetic fabrics (nylon)? (These are all predisposing factors for yeast infections).
Have you or your partner ever had a sexually transmitted disease?
Do you have fevers, chills, abdominal pain, joint pain, or a rash?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Abdominal examination
Pelvic examination

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Sample of the vaginal discharge to examine under a microscope (wet smear)
Cultures of the vaginal discharge

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Osteoarthritis

Updated January 30, 2017

Osteoarthritis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

How long have you had painful joints?
Which joints are involved and which are most painful?
Is the pain worse or better after walking or other exercise?
Does the pain wake you at night?
Does it occur at rest?
Do you have swelling or deformities in any joints?
What activities can you no longer do because of the arthritis?
How long ago did you stop doing them?
How far can you walk?
Do you have difficulty opening jars or grasping objects?
Do you have any other conditions, such as heart or lung disease, that also limit your ability to function?
What have you done to treat your osteoarthritis?
What therapies help the most?
Do you use a cane (for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip)?
What medications do you take (over-the-counter and prescription) to treat the pain?
How effective are they?
Do you know the side effects of each medication?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Joint examination
Muscles
Gait

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Blood tests if your symptoms are atypical for osteoarthritis
X-rays of the involved joints
CT scans of the involved joints
MRI scans of the involved joints

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Parkinson's Disease

Updated January 30, 2017

Parkinson's Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you have a tremor of the hands at rest?
Have you noticed a slowing of your movements?
Do you have a stooped posture or a slow, shuffling gait?
Are you becoming more unsteady?
Are your muscles becoming more rigid?
Have you noticed your handwriting is getting smaller?
Do you have any problems with speech?
Are you depressed?
Do you have problems with memory, concentration, or problem-solving?
Do you have a family history of Parkinson's disease?
Are you taking any medications?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Complete neurological exam focusing on gait, muscle tone, strength, and vision
Mini Mental Status Exam (to test memory and concentration)

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

The diagnosis is made based on medical history and physical exam
SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography)
Response to drug treatment, such as a trial of levodopa

Diseases & Conditions

When You Visit Your Doctor - Peptic Ulcer Disease

Updated January 30, 2017

Peptic Ulcer Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Do you have diffuse or localized abdominal pain?
Does the pain ever travel to the back or chest?
Do you have nausea associated with the pain?
Does eating make the pain better or worse?
Do you have black or bloody stools?
Do you ever vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds?
Do you take any medications (for example, pain relievers)?
Do you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol?
Do you drink caffeine-containing beverages?
Have you ever been tested or treated for a bacteria called H. pylori that can infect the stomach lining?
Do you have a family history of peptic ulcer disease?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Careful abdominal exam
Rectal exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

Stool testing for blood
Blood or breath test for the presence of H. pylori
Upper endoscopy (internal examination of esophagus, stomach, and duodenum)
Upper GI series

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Diseases & Conditions Archive

Articles

When You Visit Your Doctor — Bell's Palsy

Bell's Palsy

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Crohn's Disease

Crohn's Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Gallstones

Gallstones

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral Artery Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Vaginitis

Vaginitis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

When You Visit Your Doctor - Peptic Ulcer Disease

Peptic Ulcer Disease

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

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