When should you schedule doctor visits?
Here are a few tips for when you should schedule your doctor visits and how that timing could affect your test results.
First: Schedule your next dental appointment for 3 pm. Research shows that local anesthetic lasts nearly 3 times longer in mid-afternoon, which means less pain. And if dentists stress you out, dab some lavender essential oil on your temples and wrists beforehand. According to the Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice, the aroma of lavender significantly reduces anxiety AND the perception of pain.
Then, schedule a colonoscopy first thing in the morning. It’ll make fasting easier. Plus, early-in-the-day colonoscopies are more likely to catch abnormal growths than those performed later. Researchers say it’s because doctors make fewer errors when they’re fully rested.
As far as mammograms go, book your appointment for right after your period, that’s the time of the month when breast tissue is the least dense, which will increase the scan’s accuracy.
