Of all the health strategies out there aimed to keep you vital and spry, the most helpful is effectively simply communicating with your doctor. In that spirit, Health.com compiled a list of “secrets” doctors think you should know.

1. Don’t think you have every ailment out there.
Just because you see a commercial for a new wonder drug doesn’t mean you need it. Taking medicine for medicine’s sake is not a good policy.

2. Just spill it.
Complete honesty with your doctor is essential. Maybe you don’t want to say, “It burns when I pee” out loud, but suck it up and maybe you and she can do something about it.

3. Forget what you saw on TV.
Please don’t allow Grey’s Anatomy to become your health plan. Yes, you saw the genius doctor diagnose a rare and almost imperceptible malady with a magical test. That doesn’t mean you need the same test. No, absence of symptoms doesn’t mean you have a “symptom-free” super disease.

4. Don’t worry about hairy legs during a check-up.
Your doctor isn’t looking and doesn’t care.
5. Be honest about exercise.
Having a busy schedule isn’t the same as adequate physical activity.

6. Don’t think of the spa as a medical facility.
Many spas offer medical treatments that should be handled in an actual medical facility.

7. Get a second opinion – but not from mom.
Getting another opinion is great, but don’t shop every friend and family member until you get an opinion you like. Leave it to the professionals and accept the judgment.

8. Don’t shop for skin care advice at the mall.
A lot of women spend $300 on the advice of a 16-year-old makeup counter girl.

9. Know the facts.
Some of us dangerously choose to assume a lot of our health facts rather than seek the truth.

10. Ask yourself: Is this a real emergency?
Yellow toe nails aren’t worth a Sunday afternoon trip to the ER. On the flip side, severe pelvic pain shouldn’t be merely dismissed with over-the-counter medication.

image: Ericka McConnell