Family health history is important to our health as 96% of Americans have stated in a recent survey. Despite the importance of family health history only 1/3 of people have ever really tried to gather this information.(1) Tracing the illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents and other relatives can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may be at risk and take action to keep you and your family healthy. Common diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and rare diseases like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia can be hereditary. By creating a family health portrait offered by the Surgeon General, you can organize your family’s health history and help to prevent common disease and improve your family’s health.
Here’s how to get started:
- Make a list of relatives to discuss any known health conditions
- Explain to your relatives what you are doing and why
- Prepare a list of questions which can include: Are you aware of any chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes? Have you ever had serious illnesses like cancer or stroke? How old were you when you developed your illnesses? What medications are you currently taking?
- Also ask about their parents and grandparents –where are they from? How did they die?
- Make sure to keep track of the conversation and answers- write or type down the information as you go instead of trying to recall it later
- If you find a health issues as you interview, take the information to a doctor
- Keep this family history portrait up to date
You can access an online family portrait here: https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/FHH/html/index.html and fill in all of the information you received from your family. If your still wondering how to get started on your family history, Rachel, over at HobbyHelp, wrote a beginner’s guide to starting your family history. Check it out!
It’s important to do things that can improve your and your family’s health. Besides a family health portrait, things like exercising and eating right can help. We can assist you in finding more out about your family health history using risk stratification. Let us show you how incorporating a healthy lifestyle can help you live longer!
References:
- ” About the Surgeon General’s Family Health History Initiative”. Accessed 17, October 2016. hhs.gov. http://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/family-health-history/about-family-health-history/index.html#
- Image courtesy of phasinphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
- “The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Genealogy” Accessed 5, June 2018. https://hobbyhelp.com/genealogy/
