We rarely know which of the tiny decisions and habits that form our daily life can have a major impact on our health. Is ordering your burger medium-rare really all that bad for you? Do you really need to feel bad if you forgot your Omega-3 supplement today? But when it finally comes time to ask our doctor these questions at our annual(-ish) check-up, there’s just something about a doctor’s office that makes you stare into space with a blank look. So, to save you that ah-darn-I-should’ve-asked-about-that moment after your next visit, we went ahead and asked some of our Top Doctors to answer your most pressing questions right here.
How bad is it to not finish a round of antibiotics?
It could be very bad. Imagine a fire that you don’t extinguish completely. What happens to the fire? It re-ignites and spreads, potentially causing even greater damage than the original one. Extinguishing the bigger fire completely could be harder, right? An infection not treated adequately with antibiotics can behave similarly. A smoldering infection can intensify and spread to neighboring tissue or the blood stream, causing greater harm and more tissue damage. Please complete the entire course of antibiotics your doctor recommends and smother the infection completely!–Dr. Ahmed Hegab, Gastro Health, Gastronenterology
How bad is it if my kid doesn’t eat his vegetables?
Research has shown that poor diet and not being active are habits that can increase cancer risk in the future. The good thing is we can work with our kids to build good habits. What we really want to do is reduce cancers later in life. To that end there are certain things we can do that protect our kids. Inspiring healthy eating habits in the entire family, using sunscreen on a daily basis, maintaining healthy weight through diet, and avoiding cigarette smoke are all ways to reduce cancer risk as an adult.–Dr. Anne Angiolillo, Children’s National, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
How bad is it if I had a glass of wine before I realized I was pregnant?
That’s OK. I think everything in moderation is OK. The effects of drugs and alcohol on the fetus are not good, of course. Anything that’s small and in moderation and certainly is unintentional should not cause too much anxiety. I think obviously the caveat is how much you were drinking. A single glass of wine–I wouldn’t worry too much.–Dr. Mariam Said, Children’s National, Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine
What’s the most common misconception about surgery?
Perhaps the thought that one must avoid activity soon after surgery. In fact, the opposite is true! It used to be that bed rest was advised, but now we know that most patients heal better when they start moving soon after surgery. So unless your doctor advises otherwise, be sure to get up and move!–Dr. Jacqueline Moore, Sentara Surgery Group, Surgery
How bad is it to drink less than the daily recommended amount of water?
On average, one should drink about 8 8-oz glasses of water per day. This is easy to remember and should be used as a basic guide. If you have a problem with kidney stones, your doctor probably is advising you to drink more fluids and water. Dehydration, lack of energy, the inability to effectively clear metabolic waste may result from not enough water intake. Water also lubricates and cushions joints, helps maintain normal body temperatures, and protects your body’s sensitive tissues.–Dr. William Reha, Sentara, Urology
Is it terrible that I ate a cheeseburger this weekend?
I think the answer is clearly no. I think the important thing for everyone to keep in mind is, on balance, your diet should be healthy. A Mediterranean-focused diet that favors fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and poultry is great. People who try to follow diests that are perfect will eventually say “This isn’t worth it” and go overboard and burn out on what they’re doing and take the opposite approach.–Dr. Joseph Kiernan, Virginia Heart, Interventional Cardiology
What healthy habit do you wish all of your patients had?
Regular physical activity, which I would define as 30 to 60 minutes daily of physical activity. That’s a part of a healthy weight and cardiovascular health. There’s a lot of data out there that suggest that obesity is an increase risk factor in multiple cancers.–Dr. Geoffrey D. Moorer, Virginia Cancer Specialists, Oncology/Hematology
How bad is it to skip regular cancer screenings such as mammograms?
Outcomes are generally better for early-stage cancers than for later-stage ones, so it’s important to have regular screenings to catch problems as early as possible. But if someone has missed a screening or is late for one, as happened to many people during the pandemic, they should not worry execessively, but simply go for their screening as soon as they are able. Fortunately, most breast cancers are still treatable even when found a little bit later, so there is a benefit in screening even if you are behind schedule.–Dr. Jean Wright, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital, Radiation Oncology
How bad is it to skip exercising while I’m pregnant?
There are plenty of benefits of exercise during pregnancy! It has been shown to decrease operative delivery (both cesarean and forceps/vacuum), development of gestational diabetes, and postpartum recovery time. Furthermore, regular physical activity may prevent depression and excessive pregnancy weight gain.–Dr. Rit Driggers, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital, Maternal and Fetal Medicine
What’s the one product you wish all your patients would use?
Sunscreen! Always choose a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and reapply every two hours while outdoors. Reapplying is ther hard part–and is often overlooked. Application of a high-quality Vitamin C serum–with it’s powerful antioxidants and skin-brightening properties–under your sunscreen is an added bonus!–Dr. Kristin Cam Missmar, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, Dermatology
What’s the best thing people can do for their brain health?
Everything you can think of to do for overall health supports brain health: Exercise. Eat a healthy diet. Quit smoking. And finally, take care of your mental health. I think people would be surprised to learn the degree to which their mental health impacts their sense of physical well-being.–Dr. Agostino Visioni, Mary Washington Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery
How bad is it to skimp on eight hours’ sleep?
Improving sleep habits is one of the most important, yet often least recognized ways to improve overall health. Undiagnosed sleep apnea occurs commonly and results in chronic sleep insufficiency. I am frequently asking patients to have sleep studies when I hear them describe a lack of envergy to exercise, a lack of motication to improve their weight, difficulty getting our of bed in the morning, and the need for a nap or down time during the day. These symptoms are common with insufficient sleep, and can be treated.–Dr. Terri Remy, Virginia Hospital Center, Internal Medicine
What question do you wish your patients would ask you?
What would you recommend if you had a loved one in this situation?” We obviously all want the best for our loved ones. The best way to test your recommendation on something should be thinking of one of those people you love the most. I’m a surgeon–what would I be doing for that particular person?–Dr. Ezequiel Molina, MedStar Health, Cardiac Surgery
This story originally appeared in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.