Doctor: Good afternoon, take a seat.
Woman: Oh, thank you, Dr. Jackson.
Doctor: How can I help you?
Woman: I’m feeling a bit unwell these days. I hope you can give me some advice.
Doctor: Okay, could we start off with some basic details so that I can fill in the patient form?
Woman: Sure.
Doctor: First of all, what’s your full name please?
Woman: It’s Anu Atkinson.
Doctor: Could you spell your family name?
Woman: A-T-K-I-N-S-O-N, Atkinson.
Doctor: Do you know your postcode?
Woman: Yes, I think it’s E-L-2-14-F-B.
Doctor: Hmm, let me check. Oh, sorry, it’s actually E-L-14-2-B-F.
Doctor: Thanks, and where are you living now?
Woman: At the moment I’m living with my parents on Queen’s Avenue.
Doctor: Okay, got that. And your date of birth.
Woman: October 1st, 1986.
Doctor: Oh, what a coincidence. It’s my birthday too, but I was born in 1984. Do you have a telephone number that I can contact you with?
Woman: Yes, it’s 875 934, but I’m out and about a lot in the afternoon and evening.
Doctor: So, would the best time to ring you be in the morning?
Woman: Yes.
Doctor: Fine, got that. Now, what exactly brings you here?
Woman: Well, my eyes seem to have some problems whenever I spend more than half an hour reading books or working on the computer.
Doctor: Hmm, I see. Is this a new problem or an old one? I mean, has it been happening for a long time?
Woman: No, it started just three days ago. Oh no, I think it was five days ago in the gym after I played badminton.
Doctor: So it was after you played badminton, what is the symptom exactly?
Woman: I see these flashing lights. I can’t figure out what happened. Do you know what it is?
Doctor: Erm, I didn’t know that either at the moment. What was the condition of the room where you played badminton? Was it very dark?
Woman: Oh, it was very bright. Sometimes I couldn’t even open my eyes. Since then, I haven’t been able to see things clearly.
Doctor: Oh, that might be the reason. And have you ever been treated before for anything like dizziness?
Woman: Well, I went into Central Hospital last month because of severe headache, and they kept me in for observation for a couple of days but they couldn’t find anything wrong.
Doctor: Okay, I’ll make a note of that too.
Woman: Thank you.
Doctor: I think I’ve got all the information I need right now, and there are two suggestions for you. One is that you should take a good rest. If you find yourself looking at a screen for too long, you should look away, focus on a point in the distance for approximately 10 to 20 seconds, and then focus on something closer to you. Repeating this a few times should keep your eyes from getting tired.
Woman: Thanks, and what about the second one?
Doctor: I’ll give you some eye drops. You can use it before bed. That should reduce levels of eye strain. Here’s the prescription. If the situation doesn’t improve in a week, come back and see me again.
Woman: I see. Thank you for your advice. I will give it a try. Goodbye.
Doctor: Bye!
