6 Things Your Doctor Wishes You Wouldn’t Do

6 Things Your Doctor Wishes You Wouldn’t Do

 Doctors are here to tell you what to do — but there’s also plenty they really, really wish you wouldn’t do. Here’s just a few of the things they’d prefer if you refrained from — because we know you want to be the best patient possible, too.

1. Run to the mirror right after a procedure expecting an INSTANT! RESULT! 

So says Dr. Jonathan Hoenig, an oculoplastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. Almost every cosmetic procedure takes a little while — or longer — to show it’s full effect, and if someone promises you “instant results,” you might want to think twice about how effective the procedure will end up being. So even if you look a little bruised or sensitive immediately post-procedure, don’t worry — you won’t look like that forever.

2. Utter the words, “But that’s not what they said on ‘Oprah.'”

No disrespect to Ms. Winfrey, but several doctors we talked to complained that the Queen of All Media’s often mesmerizing air of authority can make patients think that Oprah’s the one with the MD, not them. And, yes, she does have good doctors making intelligent judgments on her show, but keep in mind what works for some might well not work for you. (The same goes for infomercials.)

If you’ve seen something thought-provoking or amazing on TV, there’s no harm in mentioning it to your doctor — just don’t compare your results to something you saw on the tube. It’s TV, people.

3. Use your teeth as small weapons.

No, we don’t mean on the doctor when she or he is about to inject a needle into your skin (please don’t do that either). Actually, this no-no comes from Dr. Jeffrey Golub-Evans, an NYC cosmetic dentist, who really wishes his patients would stop using their teeth “to chew ice, chew bones, open wrappers, hold pins,” and other tasks better suited for hand tools and prehistoric mammals than human beings.

4. Drenching your eyeballs in bacteria.

Well, OK, not literally, but almost: Dr. Robert K. Maloney, an L.A. ophthalmologist, says his most persistent complaint with patients is that they insist on licking their contact lenses and putting them back into their eyes (Guilty!).

Says Dr. Maloney, “They would be better off rinsing the contacts in a toilet than in their mouth, because the toilet has fewer germs!”

Try carrying a small bottle of rehydrating solution with you — but don’t use tap water, either, because, frankly, do you know where that water has been?

5. Hop like bunny rabbits.

More specifically, “…from one product to another in pursuit of the best deal or cheapest price possible,” as Dr. Henri Gaboriau, Wash., puts it. Other doctors tell us that patients will often try a zillion-and-one drugstore products — and shell out serious cash — only to complain they haven’t gotten the results they wanted.

Some over-the-counter home remedies work reasonably well, but if you’re looking for real results, save yourself the aggravation and needless expenditure, and find a good doctor.

6. Blocking your doctor on his way out the door.

Now, we know doctors are very committed to their profession and their patients, but they have families and personal lives, too, OK? One persistent complaint amongst several of the doctors we spoke to was that certain patients decide to call their offices late on a Friday — like after hours, or a minute after the office closes — with a complaint that has been bothering them all day long.

Mainly, this inconveniences you, the patient. The takeaway here: If something is giving your persistent trouble or you’re having some kind of issue, call immediately. Of course, if it happens after office hours, so be it. But the doctors can do much more to help if they’ve got the full complement of staff and equipment to ease your suffering.

And one other thing you should — really should — know …

Doctors hate it when you smoke and suntan brazenly, as if you didn’t already know that!

 

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee.