I hate how doctors ignore how important genetics are for health

[Anonymous]

I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

[Anonymous]

I don’t see doctors ignoring family history. Having adopted kids where we don’t know family history, I can tell you that every single doctor and dentist we’ve ever seen tells us how important it is to get whatever information we can. And as a patient, doctors often discuss how family history plays into health.

[Anonymous]

What do you expect them to do about genetics? We're a few decades away from significant use of gene therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you expect them to do about genetics? We're a few decades away from significant use of gene therapy.

Because doctors always tend to blame patients for their health problems and say it’s their fault they didn’t eat healthy or whatever

[Anonymous]

Those things you listed are incredibly common, even amongst young people. My very active, happy, wonderful 11 year old son has allergies, asthma, AuDHD, and used to have sleep apnea until he had his tonsils out. I would not say he is "crippled", how ridiculous.

And hypertension affects people of all ages, genders, races, weights, you name it. Of course a lot of that is genetic. All doctors know that. That being said, the first line of treatment for HTN is lifestyle modifications. So eating a lower sodium diet and reducing weight (if overweight) is step one, for 6 months, to see if that works. It doesn't mean they are ignoring genetics, it means they are trying lifestyle modifications before pharmacotherapy.

And plantar fasciitis? GTFO. You aren't "crippled". Every long distance runner has that, and they're all pretty healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you expect them to do about genetics? We're a few decades away from significant use of gene therapy.

Because doctors always tend to blame patients for their health problems and say it’s their fault they didn’t eat healthy or whatever

You can't change genetics, so you need to make up for them in other things you do.

[Anonymous]

Most doctors are not very good. Its taken me many years to get a doctor to listen and genetics are important as the genetic testing proved some of my concerns.

[Anonymous]

Uh, every practice I belong to has you check off your allergies before ever seeing the doctor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

How old are your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

Overweight?

[Anonymous]

Every new doctor I've met in the US goes through family history in some detail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

Overweight?

My first thought. Would explain hypertension, apnea, pf. Doesn't matter if you drink water and avoid red meat, if you're eating lots of carbs and/or processed foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

Overweight?

My first thought. Would explain hypertension, apnea, pf. Doesn't matter if you drink water and avoid red meat, if you're eating lots of carbs and/or processed foods.

Right. It sucks that some of us are predisposed to get fat, but it ultimately only happens if you eat too many calories for your activity level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

The OP must be one of those ME/CFS loons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people dismiss how important of a role genetics play in health. I am 24, but I already have diagnoses for allergies, plantar fasciitis, chronic pain, autism, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. I don’t eat red meats, don’t drink or smoke, exercise as much as I safely can, and mostly just drink water. I have been like this throughout my whole life, and I don’t see how my habits led me to being almost crippled in my 20s

Overweight?

But this is exactly the dynamic being challenged in the post. There's an assumption that your health issues must be your fault. You must be doing something wrong.

My spouse is lean (normal BMI) and has sleep apnea. We're both normal weight and have elevated cholesterol. Some things are just not within our control, and it would be helpful if more of society recognized that instead of looking to blame health issues on the patients experiencing them.