### Why Knowing Your Medical History Matters When you visit your doctor, you might be asked about your personal and family medical history. This includes any health problems you've had and any conditions that your blood relatives have experienced. Knowing this information is crucial because many diseases, like diabetes, can run in families. Your doctor can use this history to identify potential health risks and take preventive measures. ### How to Gather Your Medical History 1. **Talk to Relatives**: Start by asking your family members about their health. Explain that you're gathering this information to help keep everyone healthy. You can call them or ask in person. 2. **Document Everything**: Write down the details you learn. This will help you remember and update the information over time. 3. **Include All Blood Relatives**: Make sure to gather information from all blood relatives, including half-siblings. Don't include non-blood relatives. 4. **Ask About Common Conditions**: Focus on chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Find out how old each person was when they were diagnosed. 5. **Check Records**: If possible, look at death certificates or medical records to find out the cause of death and age at death for deceased relatives. 6. **Adopted Individuals**: If you were adopted, you might not know your birth parents' medical history. However, you can often access this information through state agencies once you become an adult. ### Benefits of Knowing Your Medical History With this information, you can make informed choices about your health. For example, if diabetes runs in your family, you might decide to adopt a healthier lifestyle to reduce your risk. Your doctor can also use this information to recommend screening tests that could catch diseases early, improving your chances of successful treatment.