Talking with your doctor is important when you reach the age in which you are considered a senior citizen. There may be underlying problems that you need your doctor to be aware of. However, there are many seniors who feel as though when they go to the doctor they do not really talk with their doctor, instead they get a brief lecture and sent on their way. This is not the way in which a doctor patient relationship needs to be. There are several tips that you can utilize in order to get your doctor to listen to you. Many doctors feel as though those patients who consistently complain are not really ailing, but desperate for attention. This is where a serious problem can generate that can lead to a worsening health condition.

Tip 1: Be specific about everything that is bothering you.

The more specific you are about what ails you, the more likely your doctor is to take you seriously. Instead of saying, “I’m always in pain”, lengthen this to include where the pain starts. For example, “I have constant pain in my knees and hips.” This can help the doctor to see that there could be a real problem that needs to be dealt with.

Tip 2: Be short with the information you provide.

When you are explaining a problem, deal with the one problem before moving onto something else. It is information overload when you start complaining about aches and pains, then jump to stomach upsets and having a hard time with remembering. Instead, you want to deal with the main problem that is bothering you, while being specific about the information that you are giving.

Tip 3: Be confident, but not to the point in which you are being a bully.

You need to show that you are confident in what you are saying, however, do not do this in a tone that says you know more than the doctor. The doctor went to school for eight or more years, so they do have more knowledge in this area. However, you need to have a tone that shows confidence in order to be taken serious.

Tip 4: After the talking, ask questions that are directly related to your care.

If you ask questions such as what the doctor is going to do, what tests are going to be ran and the like, the doctor is going to take you serious. He or she is going to realize that this must be a real problem for you to inquire as to what they are going to do about it.

Once you start talking with your doctor and they are still not listening to what you are saying, it may be time to find a new doctor. There is no reason that you should continue to go to a doctor who is not listening to your problems. There are too many doctors out there who are ready to help a patient so there is no reason to suffer with a doctor who refuses to listen to you.