Diagnostic errors are responsible for 40,000 to 80,000 deaths a year. In order to keep your disease from developing, it needs to be diagnosed, and treated correctly. This is why you should know which cases doctors make mistakes in the most. This will help you save time, money, and most importantly your health.
Bright Side has collected the most popular diagnoses and found out which other problems can cause the same symptoms. All this will help you save your health: and if a doctor doesn’t ask for additional tests, maybe you should think about visiting another doctor.
1. Osteochondrosis
Symptoms: a backache, a knee ache, or a foot ache.
Diagnosis: osteochondrosis.
What else it can be: When someone has osteochondrosis, their intervertebral discs are deformed and decrease in size. However, a different problem may hide behind the word “osteochondrosis.” In order to find this out, you need to see several neurologists have an ultrasound scan and an MRI of your joints.
The reason for the pain can be:
2. Vegetovascular dystonia
Symptoms: headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears.
Diagnosis : vegetovascular dystonia.
What else it can be: If your doctor doesn’t tell you to have a complete blood test, doesn’t check your blood pressure, and you have headaches more than 2 times a week and nothing but painkillers helps, you should see a different doctor. You might have a nerve entrapment caused by stress and tension. Headaches are a dangerous symptom that may be caused by:
3. Extra weight
Symptoms: extra weight, dyspnea.
Diagnosis: high cholesterol levels, obesity.
What else it can be: Everyone has probably experienced a situation where they were very stressed and they ate to deal with their feelings. This is because of the production of cortisol which increases when a person is stressed. And if a person is stressed all the time, this hormone can damage their health. They might have:
To decrease the level of cortisol, you need to go to bed earlier and do relaxing exercises: stretching, yoga, Pilates, or meditation.
4. Joint pain
Symptoms: discomfort or pain in the arms, legs, shoulders, or back.
Diagnosis: arthritis, joint inflammation.
What else it can be: If a doctor didn’t ask you any questions about other symptoms, didn’t request any tests, or recommended some ointment, you should go and see a different doctor. Except for arthritis and osteoporosis, the reasons for the pain may be:
5. Vitamin deficiency
Symptoms: tiredness, apathy, pale skin.
Diagnosis: vitamin deficiency.
What else it can be: A lack of vitamins may only be a symptom. The diseases that could also be the reasons are:
6. Insomnia
Symptoms: problems with falling asleep for more than 3 months.
Diagnosis: insomnia.
What else it can be: Before you solve this problem with pills, you should see a sleep doctor, or somnologist, and have additional tests done. The reasons for insomnia can not only be stress and personal problems, but can also be:
7. Chronic fatigue syndrome
Symptoms: constant weakness, getting tired very quickly, depression, not wanting to communicate with other people.
Diagnosis: chronic fatigue syndrome.
What else it can be: If the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome doesn’t help, maybe there are other reasons for your symptoms like:
8. Excessive sweating
Symptoms: excessive sweating for no reason.
Diagnosis: hyperhidrosis.
What else it can be: People sometimes sweat when they are carrying extra weight. Hyperhidrosis can also be caused by a situation when the nerves, responsible for sweat glands, are hyperactive. The possible reasons for this could be:
9. Skin irritation
Symptoms: constant dryness, redness, peeling.
Diagnosis: eczema, dermatitis, neurodermatitis.
What else it can be: Skin problems could be caused by contact with chemicals or the reasons for this irritation can also be:
If you have ever been incorrectly diagnosed, share your story in the comment section below! Maybe, somebody has a similar story and still has enough time to see the right doctor.
Preview photo credit depositphotos, depositphotos
