When a doctor is about to become your podiatrist, whether to treat a trauma or to assist you with lifetime health maintenance, he or she will probably want to take a history of your overall foot health. One Chicago podiatry office has done patients the convenience of putting the form you must complete directly on their web site, as a PDF file, so that you can download it and have it ready to bring with you on your first visit to the office.

Some of the things on the form spark some questions that would be helpful to have in your mind before you speak with the doctor for the first time. For example, does your family have a history of diabetes? This disease can affect the feet and ankles in several severe ways, and if you have a relative with diabetes you might discover that the issues you have with your feet are not the true problem, but in fact a symptom of a completely different health problem altogether.

Another thing to keep in mind is what prescription drugs you are currently taking. While sometimes it is easy to remember, it is best to write down the information on the bottle, the dosage amount and frequency, and the exact name of the drug. It might even be helpful to bring the bottle into the office with you, because podiatrists occasionally need to prescribe medication and it can become extremely important that no drug interactions take place.

The next thing, of course, is your history of allergies. Something as simple as a latex allergy can make an initial examination of your feet extremely problematic, if the doctor were to put on latex gloves before conducting the exam. Also, some medications and some anesthetics have allergens in them, and your answers to that question could affect how the area is numbed or what sort of prescription is written for you.

Other conditions such as HIV/AIDS, hemophilia, gout, rash, and varicose veins will all also affect your treatment, so be sure to think about what sorts of past illnesses and treatments you have had.

With many thanks to the Chicago podiatry office that supplied this form online, you are now going to be far better equipped to answer the questions that your podiatrist has for you when you go into the office for the first time. Be ready, be thorough, and your treatment will be that much more effective.