According to Medline Plus, a family health history is a record of a person’s and their immediate family members’ health information. This includes that of the children, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews, grandparents.
Medline Plus also notes that families frequently have the same environments and habits as well as comparable genetic backgrounds. These elements taken as a whole can point to illnesses that might run in families. Healthcare practitioners can establish whether a person, family members, or future generations may be at an elevated risk of having a specific ailment by observing patterns of disorders among relatives.
It is however important to note that having a family history of a condition does not guarantee that an individual will develop it; nevertheless, it does provide information about the risk of developing that condition. On the other side, a person who has no known family members who have the condition may nonetheless be at risk of getting it.
Unsure what to ask your family members about their health history? Here are some example questions to get you started:
- What was [family member]’s cause of death and how old were they when they died?
- Do you or any other relatives have chronic diseases, disorders, or conditions? How old were you/they when they were diagnosed?
- What types of health conditions run in our family?
- Has there been a history of miscarriage or genetic conditions including birth defects?
Speaking to family members about their health is the easiest way to learn about your family health history. A family health history can also be completed with the use of medical records and other documents (such death certificates and obituaries). It is crucial to maintain this information current and to frequently discuss it with your healthcare practitioner.
