Parting words

If you are feeling ill, some recommendations are now available to help you decide whether your symptoms are serious or not, whether you need to see a doctor and when to do it. If you believe or even just suspect that time matters, do not hesitate - even if it is in the middle of the night. Nothing upsets a thoughtful and caring doctor (which you should have) as a patient who waited until the morning to address an urgent problem. Stroke or heart attack, perforation or blockage of the intestine, internal bleeding or a ruptured fallopian tube in ectopic pregnancy, high fever with stiff neck, unexpected convulsions, temporary weakness of the arm or leg are just a few of the cases in which several hours lost due to That you did not dare to disturb the doctor's dream, make up the gap between life and death. If you have that type of relationship with a doctor that makes you feel uncomfortable when you need to turn to him at the "wrong time," then either rebuild that relationship, or change the doctor.

Some doctors give their patients a home phone number. Many do not do this - and for good reason: they may not be in the city, so nobody will answer your call; Or there is no certainty that the household will correctly hand over the request or find a doctor; Or, as often happens, your doctor is "on call." So it's better to dial his number in a polyclinic or hospital and find out who is working tonight. But make sure before you get sick , that the other end of the wire is a person, and not an answering machine.

More and more patients find it more convenient to go to the ambulance immediately in a crisis situation, than to waste time trying to find their doctor. This is a good idea. In most cases, your own doctor would also have done it - especially at night. By the time he gets dressed and gets to your house, precious minutes will be lost. In addition, something that will help assess your problem properly - X-ray, electrocardiogram, blood tests and counselors - is not always possible to provide at home. If possible, try to seek emergency help in the hospital where your doctor works, so that he can observe your treatment as soon as he comes. If you called the car, ask them to take you there. And it's better if you know all the addresses before you get sick.

And in conclusion, remember the main rule: " If in doubt, call for help ." Do not risk your health and your life. It is better to be calm than grieve. Never be afraid to raise a false alarm!