If you’re fortunate enough to spend time with family over the holidays, the subject often (and sometimes too quickly) turns to health; theirs, yours and everyone else’s who didn’t attend the celebration.
All this talk about aches and pains and doctor visits can be boring, but it can also be illuminating for a selfish reason: your health.
Take a look around the living room or dining room table and you’ll see plenty of similarities among family members. We’re not talking about the occasional redheads or dimpled chins that show up throughout the generations. For some families, it’s diabetes. (That’s where the Ozempic and other weight loss drug talks surface). For others, it’s crummy joints. (Who has the family ice machine?)
Cleveland Clinic reminds us that it can pay to be nosy when it comes to family health, and the holidays are an ideal time to gather information.
“Knowing your family history is really important because it can actually help you understand your own health and that, in turn, will allow you to make better health choices,” explains Neha Vyas, MD, family medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic.“It will also give more information to your doctor, who can help you determine the best course of action going forward for your health.”
Dr. Vyas says, when it comes to family health history, you should collect information from anyone who is related by blood, which includes parents, grandparents, siblings, children, aunts, uncles and cousins. She recommends asking them about any known cancers, chronic diseases or conditions, like hypertension, stroke and diabetes.
Dr. Vyas says you should also find out when they developed these medical issues and what medications have been most effective.
“Things such as depression or anxiety have certain medications which tend to work better in certain families than others. So, it’s helpful to know if your mom, dad, brother or sister was on a particular medication. If you have that same condition, chances are, that medicine might work for you, as well.”
Here’s one more suggestion: Dr. Vyas says, if you plan to discuss family health history this holiday season, consider talking with each person in private. Not everyone may be comfortable sharing in front of others. And if you’re unable to gather information for whatever reason, there are medical tests you can take to gather the information.
