Medical history

For the best treatment, patients must honestly answer their doctors' questions about pain, disability, limitations in activity, fatigue, and other symptoms. In addition, people should not hesitate to mention any symptoms that the doctor did not ask about. Although this advice may seem obvious, a recent study found that women with RA tended to downplay the severity of their symptoms when consulting doctors. Since doctors rely on people's reports of pain, stiffness, disability, and other symptoms in choosing among therapeutic options, stoic responses may adversely affect the quality of treatment.

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