Your family health history helps your doctor spot conditions you may be more likely to get, like heart disease, diabetes, or some cancers. It can also change when you should start some screenings. For example, a strong family history may mean starting a colonoscopy or mammogram earlier.
Families share genes. They often share habits and surroundings too. That is why these patterns matter.
What to collect:
- Health conditions of your parents, siblings, children, and grandparents
- Aunts and uncles on both sides, if you can
- The age each person was diagnosed
- Age and cause of death for relatives who have passed
Age at diagnosis is an important clue. A condition that showed up younger than usual is worth telling your doctor about.
You do not need every detail. Share what you know and add to it over time. Family gatherings are a good time to ask.
A family doctor who cares for several generations can see these patterns up close. Learn about family medicine and recommended screenings by age at Evans Medical Group.
Source: Washington State Department of Health, Family Health History