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6 Annoying Things Doctors Tell Their Patients

Visiting the doctor can be a stressful ordeal, and not just because it’s often related to some sort of medical issue. Between all the forms to fill out and spending more time in the waiting room than you do actually interacting with your physician, the amount of time spent can seem like a major hassle.

While in reality the vast majority of doctors are highly trained, extremely skilled and consistently precise, nobody’s perfect. In fact, according to a study reported by CNN, 27 percent of 422 doctors studied were found to have a “high number of difficult encounters.” Those doctors were “more than nine times as likely to say they had provided ‘suboptimal care’ in the past year.”

So while most trips to the doctor are straightforward and beneficial to the patient’s health and wellbeing, there are going to be times when a doctor and patient just don’t get along for some reason. Here are six statements physicians utter that make our eyes roll:

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1. “Try to stay off your feet.”

Sure, this makes sense when walking could exacerbate a preexisting condition, and in these cases crutches or perhaps even a wheelchair could be necessary. However, in less serious cases — especially when a long period of rest is prescribed — it just isn’t a realistic option. Unless you want to go on disability, you’re probably going to have to get back on your feet at some point if you want to work. Usually we go to the doctor to find out how we can get back to being mobile and active, not to be told that we should lie down all day.

Another version of this statement we’ve heard was from someone who recently underwent Lasik surgery. When problems arose, she was told she shouldn’t look at a computer screen for long periods of time. Too bad she’s an editor who sits in a cubicle all day – unless she feels like looking for a new career, she can’t follow those orders.

2. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

Usually, this line is used right before a sharp object is about to be inserted into your arm or electric shocks are sent through your body. Notice that doctors never say this before using a tongue depressor or a stethoscope.

3. “Are you sexually active?”

Not only is this question awkward for the patient to answer, it’s incredibly vague. There’s also a big difference in health risks between a person who’s monogamous and one who has several sexual partners. It also doesn’t take into account whether protection is used, or what type of protection. While questions about sexual practices are often necessary, something about the wording of this particular question makes your doctor sound like an out-of-touch health teacher.