Take advantage of holiday gatherings to discuss medical history: Cleveland Clinic Doctors

CLEVELAND (WKBN) — As we visit with family during the holiday season, there are some conversations we want to avoid — and some that are important to have.

Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic say this is a great time of year to better understand your family’s medical history. Doctors say knowing what you’re at risk for can be extremely important when it comes to both prevention and treatment.

“When the family gathers, it’s almost natural to bring up, ‘How’s Grandma? Oh, I remember you told me about uncle so-and-so who died very suddenly at a young age. What happened?’ Family histories do inform us about our future,” said Dr. Charis Eng, a geneticist at Cleveland Clinic.

If you do find out there’s a family history of any cancers or other health problems, experts say you can consider genetic counseling. This is when an individual or family meets with a genetic counselor to talk about possible medical concerns.

The counselor will then determine whether genetic testing is needed. They will also go over the results and offer additional guidance.

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