Savvy patients arrive at their doctors’ offices, printouts in hand and ideas about treatment in mind. Whether they want to try a new therapy they’ve read about, question their diagnoses or avoid a drug because of its side effects, these patients have ruffled some feathers…
A patient’s perception of a doctor can change instantaneously when the doc treats them like a person, not a collection of symptoms. The switch from view the doc as a cold clinician to a caring (or at least attentive) human being is sometimes all that…
Figuring out how much to disclose about your illness requires a balancing act that often feels like the scale is askew. In January, Laurie Edwards shared the story of a cute guy at a party who didn’t run when she disclosed her illness in more…
Headache disorders and chronic pain take so much energy that it’s tempting to sit down with your doctor and say, “Fix me.” As good as this sounds, we know it’s impossible. Doctors aren’t mechanics, nor are human bodies as simple as cars. Some people swing…
Women are three times more likely to see a GP about their headaches than men are, but are less likely to be referred to a specialist, according to a study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Medication is also prescribed for women…