Transcript

Doctor: Good morning, John. How are you feeling today? Patient: Hi Dr. Smith. I'm doing okay, but I've been having some headaches lately. Doctor: I see. How often are you getting these headaches, and when did they start? Patient: They started about a week ago. I get them almost every afternoon. They feel like a tight band around my head. Doctor: That sounds like a tension headache. Are you experiencing any nausea, sensitivity to light, or visual changes? Patient: No, nothing like that. Just the dull pain and tightness. I've been taking some over-the-counter ibuprofen, and it helps a little bit. Doctor: Have you been under any unusual stress recently, or noticed changes in your sleep? Patient: Well, work has been pretty demanding this past month, and I probably haven't been sleeping as well as I should. Doctor: Okay. Stress and lack of sleep are very common triggers for tension headaches. I'm going to check your blood pressure and do a quick neurological exam. [Pause for examination] Doctor: Your blood pressure is normal, 120 over 80. Your neurological exam is completely normal as well. I don't see any red flags here. I'm diagnosing this as episodic tension-type headaches. Patient: That's a relief to hear. What should I do about it? Doctor: Let's try to manage the stress and improve your sleep hygiene first. Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. You can continue taking ibuprofen for the pain, but don't take it more than two or three days a week to avoid rebound headaches. Patient: Okay, I can do that. Doctor: I also want you to keep a headache diary for the next couple of weeks. Note when the headaches start, how long they last, what you were doing, and if the ibuprofen helped. Patient: Will do. Do I need to come back? Doctor: Yes. I want to see how you are progressing. Come back in 2 weeks. We can review your headache diary and see if we need to adjust the plan. Patient: Sounds good. Thank you, doctor. Doctor: You're welcome. See you in two weeks!