Many of us have lied to our doctors at some point in our lives, or at least not divulged the entire truth when questioned about our symptoms or lifestyle habits. Perhaps it was the fear of being scolded or ridiculed that stopped us from being completely honest. Or we might have been embarrassed about coming across to our doctors as lazy, forgetful or irresponsible.
'I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and I'm on medication for these conditions,' says Jessica Lim, 40, a private tutor. 'I eat a lot of fatty foods and I don't exercise as often as I should, but of course my doctor doesn't know this. When she asks how I've been keeping, I always lie that I've been eating healthily and working out because I don't want her to judge me.'
Another woman flat-lined during an operation several years ago, all because she forgot to tell the anaesthesiologist she was on medication for her thyroid condition. Fortunately, doctors managed to resuscitate her. 'I can't believe omitting that one detail nearly cost me my life,' she says.
Forgetting to share important information with your doctor is one thing, but it's just as bad to lie or withhold the truth, says Dr Winnie Mui, a general practitioner at Dr Lauren Bramley and Partners in Central. You might think you're saving yourself some grief, but the reality is that you could be putting your health or life in danger.
'When you withhold information, whether intentional or not, your overall medical care is potentially compromised or, at best, not maximised,' Mui says. 'And the consequences can be extreme: for example, death from anaphylaxis if you're given medication that you're allergic to, like penicillin, or overdosage if you forget to tell your doctor that you're already on something similar.'
What you should never, ever lie about, Mui adds, are your allergies, medical history and the medications you're on. Any information that's relevant to your current care should also be divulged. 'In Hong Kong, it's common for patients to go 'doctor shopping', where they see different doctors for the same condition,' she says. 'Medications are duplicated, and there is no continuity of care.'
In one case, she had a walk-in patient who admitted to seeing multiple doctors over the course of one month for coughing and slight rib pain. The patient was given numerous cold medications and painkillers. After examining him, Mui found that he had a ruptured lung, and immediately sent him to the hospital for a potentially life-saving procedure. 'Had he just said he'd been coughing a bit, I might have dismissed the problem to be a common cold,' she says.
