Patient guide

Bring these

• All your test results, even old ones
• Reports of any ultrasound, X-ray or CT
• Your medicines, supplements and herbal products, or a full list of them
• Letters from other doctors and hospital summaries
• Numbers you have taken at home, such as blood pressure and sugar
• Your insurance booklet

Think about these before you come

• What worries you most?
• When did the problem start, and what makes it better or worse?
• Which illnesses run in your close family?
• Do you smoke cigarettes or a water pipe? Do you drink alcohol?
• Write down your questions so you do not forget them.

If you are older or unwell, it helps to bring someone close to you. Be open with the doctor. Everything you say helps the diagnosis.

The office address, working hours and accepted insurers will be announced once the doctor confirms them.

Not every test needs fasting

Sugar and cholesterol tests are often done fasting, and sometimes liver and kidney tests too. A blood count usually needs no special preparation. If you are not sure, ask at least a day before, so you have time to prepare.

What does fasting mean?

You usually have nothing but plain water for 8 to 12 hours. Your doctor tells you exactly how long. An early morning appointment is best, so most of those hours pass while you sleep.

During this time:

• Drink plain water. Staying hydrated also makes the blood draw easier.
• Do not have tea, coffee, juice or soft drinks.
• Do not chew gum.
• Do not smoke.
• Do not exercise.

What about my medicines?

Ask whether to take your usual medicines. Do not stop any medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Mention vitamins and supplements too, because some of them affect results.

If you eat something by mistake

Tell your doctor or the lab. The test may need to be moved. Hiding it only gives a wrong result.

If you cannot get to the lab

The patient support form includes free blood collection at home or at work and free transfer to the lab. The details are on the support page.

One number is a picture of one moment. With several results side by side, your doctor can see whether a number is stable, rising or falling.

Three simple things

• Keep them all in one place. A folder or photos on your phone are enough. Do not throw old ones away.
• Put them in date order, with the newest on top.
• Stay with one lab where you can. Labs differ in method and reference range, and their results cannot always be compared.

On each report, look for

• The test date
• The name of the lab
• The unit of measurement
• The reference range on that report

Do not compare your result with numbers on the internet. The only range that counts is the one printed on your own report.

If a result is late

The patient support unit follows up results and sends reminders for periodic tests. Call the support team for this.

Blood pressure

1. Sit down and relax. Roll up your sleeve or take off long-sleeved clothing.
2. Rest your arm on a table and let it relax.
3. Wrap the cuff around your upper arm.
4. Take the reading and write it down.
5. Wait one minute and take it again.

You usually do this twice a day, morning and evening. Your doctor tells you for how many days. Machines differ, so read the instructions for yours.

At home, 135/85 or higher usually counts as high. This limit is different from the limit at the office, which is 140/90.

Blood sugar

If your doctor has asked you to check your sugar, ask when and how often, and know your own target. It is not the same for everyone.

A notebook of numbers

For each reading, write down:

• The date and time
• The number itself
• Anything unusual that day, such as a missed medicine or feeling unwell

Bring the notebook to your visit. A written number is far more useful than “my pressure is usually fine”.

When to act fast

If high blood pressure comes with sudden chest pain, breathlessness or signs of a stroke, do not wait. Call 115.

What goes on the list?

• Prescription medicines
• Non-prescription medicines, such as painkillers and stomach remedies
• Vitamins and supplements
• Herbal products

For each medicine, write

Column	Example
Name	As written on the box
Dose and timing	As your doctor told you
What it is for	For example, blood pressure
Who prescribed it	The doctor’s name
Since when	Month and year

Where do I keep it?

One copy at home and one in your bag or phone. Show it to every doctor and at every hospital stay. Update it whenever a medicine changes.

Three questions at every visit

• Are all these medicines still needed?
• Should any dose change?
• Does a new medicine interact with what I already take?

Do not stop a medicine on your own. If you notice a side effect or are unsure how to take something, call your doctor.

Call 115 now

Chest pain

• Sudden chest pain or discomfort that does not go away, such as pressure, burning or indigestion
• Pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back
• Chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness

Signs of a stroke

• One side of the face has dropped and it is hard to smile
• You cannot keep both arms up, or one arm is weak or numb
• Speech is slurred or confused

If these signs go away, still get help at once.

Severe infection (sepsis)

• Confusion or slurred speech
• Difficulty breathing
• Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin or lips
• Uncontrollable shivering
• Not passing urine all day

Bleeding

• Vomiting blood, which may be red, brown or black and sometimes looks like coffee grounds

Do not drive yourself. Take your medicine list with you.

Call your doctor the same day

• Chest pain that comes and goes
• Repeated headaches or blurred vision with high blood pressure
• A new side effect after a new medicine

This list comes from NHS sources and needs to be matched to the doctor's experience and to conditions in Iran. The office's direct phone number will be added once confirmed.