Know Your Health Heritage: How to Discover Your Family Health History

Do you know your family’s health history? Eating right and taking good care of yourself are just parts of the picture. Your heritage holds a very important key to your health. Like most people, you may have some idea about your family’s health history, but you probably don’t have the full story.

Mapping out your family health history is crucial because it can help you and your doctor devise a tailored wellness plan that incorporates your risk factors for developing health issues, and suggests optimal wellness choices concerning your environment, lifestyle, and habits.

Here are tips for gathering your family health history to assist your daily wellness planning.

1. Start with Your Immediate Family

The first step in learning about your health history is to start asking questions. Begin with your immediate family and then expand outward. Consider your own health and that of your children, then speak to your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even your extended family.

Top Questions to Ask Family Members

• Do you know of any family members who have had major medical conditions, including yourself?
• How old was the person at the onset of symptoms or disease?
• What are some medical-related causes of death that run in our family?
• Are there any common environmental factors that may have contributed to family diseases?
• What is our family’s complete ethnic background?

2. Enlist the Family Historian

It's best to ask individuals directly when possible, but also consult the family historian. Almost every family has someone who stays in touch with everyone and knows a great deal about deceased family members. Engage with this person and ask for memories and details. Family reunions provide a great opportunity to connect with this person and learn about your family’s health history.

3. Stay Organized and Share Information

While gathering information, it's essential to stay organized. Collect all family medical records, adoption records, death certificates, and notes in a dedicated folder or binder that is easy to share with relatives later. Numerous apps and online services are available to store and organize your health information, enabling you to share it with doctors, caregivers, and family.

4. Consider Genetic Testing

If you lack access to your family's medical history due to deaths, adoption, or distant relations, genetic testing might provide some answers. Genetic tests can offer insights into heredity, diet, and environmental history, and identify patterns of diseases and potential health risks.

Even if you are aware of your family’s medical history, your doctor might recommend genetic testing if a pattern of disease is prevalent in your family. These tests can help determine your individual risk levels and inform your daily wellness plan. If genetic testing piques your interest, consult with your doctor.

5. Speak with Your Doctor

After collecting your family’s health history, discuss it with your doctor. Based on the details of your family’s medical history and other risk factors, your doctor can assess your health risks and recommend lifestyle changes that may help prevent disease. Your doctor may also suggest screening tests to detect diseases early or a consultation with a dietitian if you have specific diet-related health concerns. Diet, sleep, and exercise are daily habits that can significantly enhance your long-term wellness.

6. Update Health History Records Often

Since family health history can frequently change, it is advisable to update your records annually. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving as National Family Health History Day to encourage families to discuss health problems annually. Holidays and family reunions are opportune times to reflect on your family’s health history, as you are usually around more family members.

7. Strive for Long-Term Wellness

Supporting your long-term health should be a priority. Discovering, sharing, and updating your family health history can help you and others stay informed of health risks prevalent in your family. If you’re focused on heart health, consider incorporating essential fatty acids into your diet. For eye health, adding macular carotenoids, like lutein and zeaxanthin, through dark leafy greens and supplements (see BubbForest's new Vision Defense to help protect your eyes from blue light), might be a daily health goal. Or, perhaps a real food multivitamin might be the right choice for you to fill nutrient gaps. Knowing your family health history can help you focus on creating a daily health plan for optimal wellness.

If you found this article helpful, you may also enjoy reading Do You Know Your Vitamin History and Top Supplements for Every Body.

About Shane Durkee
Chief Innovation Officer, BubbForest Health

Shane has over 20 years of consumer products research and development experience, leading teams in innovation, product development, and medical science. He is passionate about improving people’s lives through the latest technologies and scientific research in wellness and health. As a city dweller, he likes to walk everywhere rather than drive and fits in a split regimen between weight training and cardiovascular exercise to keep boredom at bay.

Sources

¹Family History is Important for Your Health. Understanding Genetics: A New York, Mid-Atlantic Guide for Patients and Health Professionals: National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115560/ (Accessed 12/15/2017)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.