Things you must know about your family history...

And then share them with your doctor, keeping them to yourself is not advised as very often most of the "sudden" ailments that befall most patients could have been found or treated much earlier...

Family history is often the most undocumented part of a patient's history because it is often either an unknown on the patient's part or overlooked as being an essential part of the patient's background which is always is...here are some things to ask your parents, siblings, even grandparents at your next gathering, or better yet today as part of your "check-in"

Here is some great advice - you should regularly talk with your parents, living grandparents and siblings about their current health...your in-laws not so much...

Disclaimer: Before undertaking any dietary or lifestyle changes, please consult with your physician for appropriateness and additional guidance. The information here is just that...information for educational purposes only, not to provide medical advice or treatment...

Discuss your family history often...

And do your best to look for patterns among your direct family i.e. grandparents, parents and siblings. When you are able to discuss your family history especially at a family re-union be sure to discuss these key items...what EHC calls the "family history keystones"...

1. Cardiac history - vitally important piece of health history...knowing whether your father or mother has a history of cardiac disease is probably the most important to pass along to your doctor. But even more important is to tell them when it surfaced...early 30s, 40s, or 50s even can be a sign of increased risk for yourself...

2. Allergy history - (including yours) this could one day save you from a horrible experience with seafood or kiwi, or some unknown potential allergen. Knowing your sibling or parent has a particular allergy can help you uncover a reason for recurrent diarrhea around thanksgiving for example. Some allergic reactions may not be genetic but this information might save your life or uncover the cause of that nasty rash you keep getting.

3. Addiction history - addictions can be devastating to families, knowing particular weaknesses for alcohol, illicit drugs and the like can help you avoid going down the path and is something also that you can caution your children against as soon as they are able to understand and comprehend that history. Never starting is the best way to treat a potential for substance abuse and addiction...

4. Cancer history - most people know the importance of this already thanks to the media and social media efforts to make this information readily available. But when or if people in your close family are diagnosed get specific about what their doctor uncovers as it may be important for you and your children.

5. Auto-immune history - "auto-immune" refers to essentially the body turning on itself, in particular the immune system is hyperactive which can cause disastrous results if it goes un-diagnosed and unrecognized. Certain conditions tend to run in family lines and should be watched out for. You should suspect this if chronic fatigue, odd skin rash, joint pains and visit your doctor, a few specific tests can help to uncover this...if you strongly suspect this but early testing is inconclusive...we would suggest re-visiting it years later just in case...

6. Sudden death - this is similar to the cardiac history but we would like to illustrate the risk here as it points to potential congenital cardiac disease that you should ask about aggressively if there is a cardiac history identified...

7. Neurological history - this is another group that has received increased attention and benefited from celebrities and the news...but knowing a family history of Parkinson's, Huntington's, ALS, etc. Also seizure history is important to be aware of as well.

8. Hypertension - knowing if this diagnosis is in your family history is important as it can help with recognizing it early on as not just being because of your boss or significant other and can allow for early identification and treatment. Also, helps to lay out how aggressive treatment should be as not all patients with hypertension are equal...some will just require one pill or get better after they abstain from alcohol, while others may require multiple medications or be at risk for kidney or heart disease or stroke.

9. Diabetes - identifying this pattern in your family tree can help you avoid dietary and lifestyle risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing diabetes and as such the complications of uncontrolled diabetes. This will help you identify your risks or diagnosis earlier as well which is essential for your organs overall health.

EHC works with you to create an accurate and complete family history, and can help you uncover potential genetic factors contributing to your health.

Disclaimer: Before undertaking any dietary or lifestyle changes, please consult with your physician for appropriateness and additional guidance. The information here is just that...information for educational purposes only, not to provide medical advice or treatment...