Getting an accurate, timely diagnosis for a medical condition can greatly impact the care and treatment a patient receives. If the original diagnosis is wrong, it is possible for the course of treatment to be ineffective or even harmful.
Unfortunately, many people across the U.S. are misdiagnosed every year. In an article on our website, we referenced a report which noted that about 12 million adults are misdiagnosed every year. That article, which can be read here, explored troubling aspects of misdiagnosis including the fact that many of them should not have happened in the first place. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in order to arm readers with some critical information that may be able to help prevent future misdiagnoses.
According to an article by AARP, there are seven conditions that are more commonly misdiagnosed than others. These ailments include:
- Lupus
- Parkinson’s disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Lyme disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Celiac disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
These illnesses in particular can have a number of symptoms that mimic other conditions. For example, Parkinson’s disease may initially be diagnosed as a stroke or Alzheimer’s disease because of the similar symptoms. In some cases, conditions are misdiagnosed because they are not fully understood by the medical community.
If medical issues are not accurately diagnosed right away, effective treatment can be delayed. Further, prescribed medications for the wrongly diagnosed condition could exacerbate the actual ailment.
In order to get the proper and best treatment available, an accurate diagnosis is essential. Victims who feel that their health has been jeopardized by a misdiagnosis should understand that there are legal avenues to pursue compensation. While money cannot undo such a devastating situation, it can help victims and their families cope with the consequences, access the care and treatment they need and compensate them for the harm that has been done by a diagnosis error.
