10 Important Questions To Ask At Your Doctors’ Appointments (4 of 6)

“What should I do if my symptoms get worse or don’t improve?”

Regardless of your medical ailment—a broken bone, allergies, or the effects of post-surgery—it is important to ask for a timeline for full recovery, and what red flags to look for that might indicate the need for further treatment. The answers will benefit you as it will set your expectations for which symptoms are simply part of the healing process and which ones might merit a trip to the emergency room.

“When can I expect my test results?”

When you’ve had imaging scans or blood work done, and several days go by without a follow-up, it is understandable that you might start to imagine the worst possible scenario. In order to avoid this, you should ask your doctor when to expect results. With the knowledge that it takes longer for some labs to process than others, you won’t interpret this to mean they’re withholding terrible news from you.