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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor. However, when you call to set up your appointment, you may be urged to seek immediate medical care if you're experiencing severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance.
- Write down any symptoms you've been experiencing, and for how long. Among other symptoms, your doctor will want to know if you've had flu-like symptoms such as fever or sore throat, and may ask whether you've noticed changes in your weight. Include on your list every symptom, from mild to severe, that you've noticed since your lymph nodes began to swell.
- Make a list of all recent exposures to possible sources of infection. These may include travel abroad, hiking in areas known to have ticks, eating undercooked meat, being scratched by a cat, or engaging in high-risk sexual behavior or sex with a new partner.
- Make a list of your key medical information, including other conditions you're being treated for and the names of the medications that you're taking. Include on your list every prescription and over-the-counter drug you use, as well as any vitamins and supplements.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out.
For swollen lymph nodes, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What do you think is the underlying cause of my symptoms?
- Are there any other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- What treatment approach do you recommend?
- How soon after I begin treatment can I expect improvement?
- If the first treatment doesn't work, what will we try next?
- Am I contagious? How can I reduce the risk of passing my illness to others?
- If my symptoms are caused by infection, are there any changes I can make in my lifestyle or daily habits to reduce the risk of future infection?
- I have these other health conditions. Do I need to change the treatments I've been using?
- Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover seeing a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk about in-depth. Your doctor may ask:
- What are your symptoms?
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your affected lymph nodes gotten larger over time?
- Are your affected lymph nodes tender?
- Have you been experiencing fever or night sweats?
- Have you lost weight without trying?
- Do you have a sore throat or difficulty swallowing?
- Have you experienced any difficulty breathing?
- Have your bowel habits changed?
- What medications are you currently taking?
- Have you recently eaten any food that you suspect was undercooked?
- Has anyone you know gotten sick after eating the same food as you?
- Have you recently traveled to another country, or to tick-inhabited regions? Did anyone who traveled with you get sick?
- Have you recently been exposed to new animals? Were you bitten or scratched?
- Have you recently had sex with a new partner?
- Do you practice safe sex? Have you done so since you became sexually active?
- Do you smoke? For how long?
What you can do in the meantime
While you wait for your appointment, warm compresses and over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), may make you more comfortable. Don't give aspirin to your child without first consulting with your child's doctor.
- Fletcher RH. Evaluation of peripheral lymphadenopathy in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
- Schmitt, DB. Swollen lymph nodes brief version. In: Burley J, et al., eds. Pediatric Advisor. Broomfield, Co.: Clinical Reference Systems; 2008.
- Rubinovitch B, et al. Generalized and regional lymphadenopathy. In: Cohen J, et al. Cohen & Powderly: Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2004:197.
- Neck swelling. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/514.html#4. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
- Lowry PA. Hematologic malignancies. In: Noble J, et al. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2001:1074.
