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Questions You Should Ask Your Mother

Under Family Category: Family Parenting, Mother in Family

Picture of Ask Your Mother ImageBeing aware of your family history could be a key factor in determining your future health and happiness.
You do your best to safeguard your health, so it’s certainly worth knowing if any serious medical conditions or diseases run in your family. Being alert to any potentially inherited disorders means you can seek professional advice and then take preventative measures.

Don’t think of it as prying. “It’s important to look at what’s happened in the generation before, or even further back,” says Dr Elizabeth Hindmarsh of The Royal Australasian College of General Practitioners.
“The more you can find out the better,” urges Dr Shyamala Hiryanna from Leichhardt Women’s Health Centre, NSW. But don’t panic or get unnecessarily anxious. Having a family history is no guarantee that you’ll develop the problem yourself.

And if you can’t get the answers – for instance, if you’ve been adopted, your mother has passed on, or she’s unable or unwilling to talk – don’t get too worried, reassures Dr Christine Read from the Family Planning Association NSW. Family history is only part of your health picture.

1. Have any women in our immediate family had breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the disease many women are most concerned about.
Family history can be an important factor, but only a very small number – around five percent – of women are genetically at risk of developing the disease.

If your mother, sister or daughter has been diagnosed with breast cancer. the risk for you is slightly increased. If a close female relative younger than 44 has breast cancer, there’s more cause for concern, especially if she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer as well. But if you are over 35, have not had a baby and there is evidence of family history of the disease, you should regularly check your breasts yourself and have annual breast examinations and mammograms.

Even if you have no family history of breast cancer, keep in mind that just being a woman, having breasts and getting older puts you at risk. If you notice any changes in your breasts or nipples (such as lumps, however small, or any discharge) promptly see your doctor or go to a breast-screening clinic.

2. Has anyone in our family had heart disease?
Heart disease is often considered a men’s problem. But contrary to this opinion, many women also suffer from cardiac problems – longer term angina more so than sudden heart attacks.
Note any recurrence of significant heart disease in your family. Find out at what ages any relatives who had heart problems died. Try to confirm if any died of a heart attack under 35.

There may also be other inherited cardiac conditions that you may need to know about. A history of prolapsed mitral valve, for instance, means you may need to take antibiotics as a precautionary measure before things such as dental work.

Make sure you have regular checkups with your doctor, who can arrange tests, including blood cholesterol and lipids. If necessary, you can be referred to a consulting cardiologist. Remember that smoking, being overweight and having diabetes can all worsen any existing heart condition.
Even if you do have a family history of heart problems, there’s lots you can do to help prevent a heart attack. Make some lifestyle changes: eat more healthily, exercise regularly, reduce stress and keep your blood pressure under control. And stay in touch with your GP.

3. Is there a history of diabetes in our family?
There can be an inherited tendency to type 2 diabetes, which is sometimes known as lateonset diabetes. However, it may not be a simple case of, “My mother is diabetic therefore I’m likely to be, too.” It makes more sense to look at your family tree as a whole.

Should you develop diabetes, it can easily be controlled with insulin and diet. It pays to keep your weight within a healthy range for your age and height, since diabetes is associated with obesity.

4. Do you or any other members of our family have osteoporosis?
When it comes to osteoporosis, there is a definite family link – the density of your bones can be inherited.
Osteoporosis causes bone matter to become fragile and brittle. And if the disease is not treated, it can weaken bones to the extent that they may easily fracture.

If your mother has been diagnosed with osteoporosis or low bone density, then you should have your bone density checked. The recommended time is around the onset of menopause or just after. The test for bone mineral density is painless. Ask your doctor for a referral.

Regular weight-bearing exercise, which strengthens the bones, is one of the best preventative measures. Your doctor or women’s health centre can advise on the range of therapies available. It is never too late to treat osteoporosis.

Continued on Questions You Should Ask Your Mother (Part 2)

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Questions You Should Ask Your Mother (Part 2) · Family, Children and Parenting wrote on June 17, 2007 - 5:08 am | Visit Link

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