Why and how you should ask your GP embarrassing questions

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It’s at all times a good suggestion to see your GP if you have any issues round your well being.

That means points could be seen to as early as doable, probably catching something extra critical earlier than it progresses.

But some intimate well being issues are a bit extra awkward to speak about – you won’t wish to communicate to your GP about it in any respect, and delay the go to.

Health consultants share how to finest navigate what may shortly develop into a clumsy second throughout a session.

What do you discover sufferers essentially the most embarrassed to speak about?

According to Dr Nisa Aslam, a GP and advisor to Effercitrate Tablets, offering reduction to cystitis signs, sufferers can really feel embarrassed to speak about any intimate well being points.

“[This can include] sexual and reproductive issues including vaginal thrush and for men difficulties in getting and maintaining an erection. However, health issues related to the bowels such as constipation and diarrhoea to problems associated with our urinary tract like cystitis, are equally health areas that patients are embarrassed to talk about,” Aslam mentioned.

How should sufferers ask their GP embarrassing questions?

GPs don’t have lengthy session instances, so it’s necessary to get to the difficulty instantly – to get essentially the most out of your go to.

“Don’t worry if you haven’t got medical words to express yourself. Say something like, ‘I have pain on passing urine’, or ‘I have pain when I pee’, or ‘I am having some problems during sex’, or ‘I have pain when I try to have a poo’,” mentioned Aslam.

Phil Day, a superintendent pharmacist at Pharmacy2U, agreed and added: “Write it down in advance. It’s less likely that you’ll get a bit flustered, go off on a different track or start thinking more about the emotional reaction rather than the actual stance.

“The worst thing would be to leave the consultation room and think afterwards, ‘Oh, I wish I said that’, or ‘I forgot to mention this’ – it might have been key.”

How can GPs assist with this?

To assist a affected person who could also be embarrassed, Aslam begins with easy questions like, ‘How can I help you today?’

“When the patients seem [ill] at ease, I remind them that everything they say will be confidential – I see a huge range of health issues and will likely have come across their issue before,” she mentioned.

“In terms of embarrassing treatments, I use simple language. So, for cystitis I’d talk about pain passing water, and how often they pass water. Treatments are only effective if used properly so patients need to understand this, no matter how embarrassed they are.

“So, if a woman needs to tackle cystitis in its early stages and antibiotics are not appropriate, I recommend effercitrate tablets which are available over the counter. I tell them it’s a tablet containing potassium citrate and citric acid which they have to dissolve in a glass of water.

“I explain that the ingredients make the urine more alkaline, helping soothe the bladder and lining of the urinary tract (or waterworks) improving the pain and discomfort of cystitis.”

How may seeing the identical GP assist with this?

Communication abilities are a key a part of a GP toolbox, so constructing long-term relationships, belief and rapport is necessary.

“I think the continuity of care angle is important too,” mentioned Day. “It gives you a better understanding of the patient’s medical history and needs. You’ve built up that rapport and trust more quickly and can make better use of that limited consultation time.

“If a long-term patient person seems more worried than usual or their mood and mannerisms are off, that would be something that can be picked up on and help a GP with a diagnosis.

“Pharmacists and doctors do this day in and day out, so they are quite desensitised. You may have just one embarrassing question a year, but they hear these things every day. We are specialists at putting you at ease.”