Contents
- “Did our family have cardiovascular disease?”
- “Mom, when did you get your period and go through menopause?”
- “Did you have any problems with pregnancy and childbirth?”
- “Has anyone in our family ever had cancer?”
- “Do you have migraines?”
- “Do you have skin problems?”
- “Were there mentally ill people in our family?”
There are predictable illnesses that recur in family history from generation to generation. They can be brought under control if you know in advance what to worry about on the maternal side.
The main trouble is that we do not know how to ask questions, or rather, the right questions. And not just acquaintances, but their relatives and close relatives.
Meanwhile, some features of our development are almost 90% similar to those of our mothers. It is important at the right time to ask parents, especially the mother, what can be done in order to prevent the course of certain diseases. For example, gynecological or related to the cardiovascular system. Here are some questions you should ask your mother right now.
“Did our family have cardiovascular disease?”
“This is not an easy topic to talk about. But if there were cases of unexpected death in the family, this information is directly related to your health, says Nicole Harkin, a cardiologist at New York University. – You should find out about any case of heart disease or early death – for women this is under 65 years old, for men – 55.
Genetics is by no means fate or a sentence. It is important to be aware of all significant family medical history facts in order to minimize any risk factor with a tailored diet and lifestyle.”
“Mom, when did you get your period and go through menopause?”
This information is confirmed by medical research: in everything related to the monthly cycle, you repeat your mother. If she started her period at an early age, yours will start around the same time. An earlier onset of menopause will also be reflected almost like in a mirror.
Felice Gersh, director of the Irvine Center for Integrative Medicine, also strongly recommends asking if your mother or her family has had a history of the common condition PCOS. According to recent studies, it increases the chance that future generations in the family may experience problems with this disease, and with it – with childbearing, metabolism, general metabolism, and even mood swings.
“Did you have any problems with pregnancy and childbirth?”
This is important to know before you start planning for the birth of a child yourself. Many issues related to pregnancy, as well as how childbirth and feeding go, are also due to genetics.
“You should be aware of any family history that puts you at risk. These include: miscarriage, premature birth, cervical insufficiency. If you know this in advance, you can, together with your doctor, identify special drugs that will prevent all possible complications, and develop an effective strategy based on family health history,” says Daniel Rocham, a gynecologist at the perinatal center in New York.
“Has anyone in our family ever had cancer?”
It is not easy to ask such a complex question head-on. Many are afraid to do this because they are afraid to hear the answer. But your mother may have had an early case of this disease when you were very young or even before you were born.
You also need to ask in detail about whether relatives have had cancer, says Laurie Jeffers, a professor at the College of Midwifery at New York University.
Not everyone knows about this, but in many cases, the genetic predisposition to the so-called “female” types of cancer – breast cancer, ovarian cancer – passes both from the father and from the mother (as a mutation of the BRCA1 BRCA2 genes).
“Pre-screening for the risk of developing this type of cancer is usually done after age 50. But if you have a specific case of the disease in your family medical history, you may be offered early testing. And it’s in your best interest to do it,” said Niket Sopal, a professor at Touro College in New York.
Early screening can save lives, especially for those at risk.
“Do you have migraines?”
We all experience a headache and do not consider it a problem. But migraine is a completely different disease. It can be identified by the following symptoms:
- sensitivity to light;
- nausea;
- vision problems (it hurts to read and look at the light).
The pain caused by a migraine can last for hours and leave you exhausted for days.
According to studies, entire generations in the same family are more likely to suffer from migraines – 90% of migraine patients have relatives who also suffered from it. That is why it is important to ask the mother questions about the health of her and the whole family.
“Do you have skin problems?”
Skin care is about more than face masks.
Has your mother ever had moles or melanoma removed? If yes, then you definitely need to undergo annual skin examinations with a dermatologist.
“Were there mentally ill people in our family?”
A slippery question. But this question about health is worth asking the mother, she has nothing to hide from you. Any cases of depression, addiction, mental disorders in your family – knowing about them, you will get an idea of how strong your nervous system is and in what life situations you should be more attentive to yourself.
Source: huffpost.com