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i was woken up by another vertigo attack this morning, so as i often do when this happens, i’m in bed reading studies on diagnosing dizziness/vertigo until i can stand again.
i’d like to point out, the way clinical discussions of dizzy patients are presented is a problem
i’d like to point out, the way clinical discussions of dizzy patients are presented is a problem
sure, even when you get the young patient to hyperventilate and it *doesn’t* reproduce any of their symptoms, it must still be a somatic dizziness! very reasonable! very clever! so glad you went to medical school!
this one made me very cross.
why would anyone go to a doctor looking for disability (or sympathy?!) WITH SUCH A SPECIFIC & TESTABLE ISSUE?
let’s assume, for a wild moment, that the symptoms your patient describes are, I don’t know... real? Before we start dismissing them, hm?
why would anyone go to a doctor looking for disability (or sympathy?!) WITH SUCH A SPECIFIC & TESTABLE ISSUE?
let’s assume, for a wild moment, that the symptoms your patient describes are, I don’t know... real? Before we start dismissing them, hm?
also, side note: why is the labourer, athlete, or artist who’s for some reason looking for sympathy a ‘he’, and the person who feels lightheaded when they pee ‘neurotic’ and a ‘she’? Hm?
Finally: remember docs, if your tests reveal nothing, it’s not because dizziness can be caused by about 500000 physical problems, but is definitely because your patient has a ‘frank psychiatric illness’ & they’ve simply been waiting for you to ask ‘how are you, really?’ 
ANYWAY, thank you for joining me for today’s instalment of: ‘doctors, it’s much more likely our current tests aren’t fool proof, than it is that loads of your dizzy patients are somatizing’.
think i’m about steady enough to get up now! (Or do I only *believe* I am?
)
think i’m about steady enough to get up now! (Or do I only *believe* I am?
)
