Just a week shy of his 20th birthday, Nascar driver Matt Tifft visited his neurosurgeon following a car crash to evaluate a bulging disc in his back. After the conversation about his back, he decided to share some seemingly unrelated but odd experiences he had been having. Upon hearing Tifft’s complaints, which would typically fit into an emerging psychiatric illness, his doctor made a life-saving call and sent him for an MRI of the brain. Tifft’s MRI showed a tumor that was ultimately diagnosed as a brain tumor. He went on to have surgery quickly, and today he is free of hallucinations and back to his extraordinary ability to remain calm in even the most perilous situations.
Whether you are one of the millions of people who will watch Matt Tifft race in person or on TV, or even if you’ve never watched a NASCAR race, Matt Tifft’s appointment with his neurosurgeon can teach some important lessons. So many patients have anxiety about visiting the doctor or sharing what’s believed to be “odd symptoms,” but regular visits can help prevent serious health issues. It pays to be honest about your symptoms, not just when problems become unbearable. Here’s what you can do now to overcome barriers to preventive care.
1. If something is bothering you, tell your doctor, regardless of his or her specialty.
Hearing sounds that others can’t hear and being anxious are experiences many people might not share with their physician. In the highly specialized world of medicine, one might assume that doctors will be unprepared to provide treatment for conditions outside their specialty. While it’s true that doctors go on to additional education in their particular field, every licensed physician in the United States has gone through medical training that included at least four years of learning to point you in the right direction. When you’re with a physician, nothing should be “off-limits” to discuss — and the more open you are, the more the physician may help you.
[See: 10 Questions Doctors Wish Their Patients Would Ask.]
2. Realize there is almost nothing your doctor has not heard or seen before.
Shame can be a powerful silencer. It is silence that can escalate your illness and potentially cause severe suffering. Often, the most difficult conversations for patients to have involve symptoms that may be considered “crazy” or symptoms that are related to stigmatized behaviors. A large part of medical training is learning to be there for every patient, regardless of the concern or the cause of that concern. Matt Tifft’s bravery saved his life. Your bravery may save yours.
[See: HIPAA: Protecting Your Health Information.]
3. See your primary care doctor, and if you don’t have one, get one.
As a psychiatrist, there is nothing more satisfying than helping patients with psychiatric illnesses recover and lead happy, healthy lives. The first and most important thing is to establish is whether a complaint is related to a mental health problem and not a physical health problem — and the people in the best position to do so may be primary care physicians.
A few examples of psychiatric conditions that a PCP can easily diagnose include:
— Sudden chest pain and difficulty breathing — a PCP could order blood tests and obtain an EKG to determine whether you’re having a panic attack or a heart malfunction.
— Excessive sweating and anxiety — a simple blood test could show that you have an under-active thyroid gland, which can be treated by a simple, safe daily medication.
— Feeling tired all the time after addressing your high blood pressure — this could be a side-effect of the medication you were prescribed, and switching medications could alleviate the problem completely.
[See: 14 Things You Didn’t Know About Nurses.]
As you’re reading this, Matt Tifft is making his name as one of the greatest young race car drivers in North America. As you watch him drive at incredible speed, remember it is the speed with which he alerted his doctors of his concerns that got him back to health, life and driving.
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Overcoming Barriers to Preventive Care originally appeared on usnews.com
