The Hip Bone’s Connected to the…

The human body is a marvelous and complicated machine but there are some basics that everyone should know, such as where your lungs are, your kidneys, and so on. But, according to a study published recently in the online version of BMC Family Practice , “Many patients and general public do not know the location of key body organs, even those in which their medical problem is located, which could have important consequences for doctor-patient communication.”

Researchers gave questionnaires to 722 people, many of whom were patients, but 133 were from the general population. Believe it or not, while most people among the general population could tell you where the intestines are (94%), only slightly more than half (55.6%) could tell you where their heart is. What was surprising to researchers was that patients who were receiving treatment for their illnesses didn’t score all that much better than the public, although those with diabetes and those with liver disease were more likely to know where their pancreas and liver are, respectively.

What helped increase knowledge?

The researchers found that women were better at identifying organs using a female drawing and that patients with higher levels of education were more able to identify organ placement correctly.

Why is it important?

It’s increasingly more important for you to stay on top of your health situation. With the way we move about, change locations, jobs and healthcare providers, we are the ones who are ultimately in charge of our body. How can you speak confidently to a doctor or nurse if you don’t know where your organs are? If you have lower back pain, there’s a big difference between lower back pain in the kidney area than in the middle of the back, and so on.

How good are you at identifying your body and its organs?

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Image: StockXchange.com