About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffUnless you require emergency care, you're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to a pulmonologist.
It's a good idea to prepare for your appointment. Here's some information to help you.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking. Some medications, such as antihistamines, can make your secretions thicker and more difficult to cough out.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information you get during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions for your doctor will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important. For atelectasis, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?
- Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What is the best course of action?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
Don't hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment if you don't understand something or need more information.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, including:
- When did you begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Ali J. Perioperative respiratory failure. In: Hall JB, et al. Principles of Critical Care. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical Pub. Division; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2296794. Accessed Jan. 26, 2010.
- Stark P. Atelectasis: Types and pathogenesis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 11, 2010.
- Finder JD. Atelectasis in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 11, 2010.
- Surka A, et al. Bronchoscopic myths and legends: Bronchoscopy in the treatment of lobar atelectasis. Clinical Pulmonary Medicine. 2007;14:302.
- Smith DA. Pulmonary emergencies. In: Stone CK, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Emergency Medicine. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3106264. Accessed Jan. 26, 2010.
- Atelectasis. In: Professional Guide to Diseases. 8th ed. Springhouse, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2005.
- Rozenfeld RA. Atelectasis. In: Kleigman, et al. Nelson's Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/181644491-2/0/1608/959.html?tocnode=54482623&fromURL=959.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-750409-6_7886. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on