Top Conditions Doctors Often Misdiagnose
Misdiagnosis happens more frequently than people think. Stats show one out of 20 Americans get misdiagnosed annually. A misdiagnosis in Ohio can cause health complications in patients as well as cost the economy. The following medical conditions commonly get misdiagnosed.
Cancer
Cancer ranks the highest among misdiagnosed medical conditions. Based on stats from the Journal of Oncology, 28% of cancer cases are
misdiagnosed with some type of cancers having a 44% misdiagnosis rate. Cancer misdiagnosis occurs because the doctor may not know the patient's entire medical history.
Stroke
A doctor may not be aware of an impending stroke. Headaches and dizziness could be mistaken for other conditions. Around 15,000 to 165,000 stroke cases get misdiagnosed annually, and death from strokes occur in around 140,000 people annually.
Lupus
Lupus, an autoimmune disease, can disguise itself as another condition, which means it may not get discovered for years. Common signs of lupus include, rash caused by sunlight, butterfly rash, lung and heart inflammation, anemia and mouth sores. Over 1.5 million Americans have this disease, but it often gets diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a condition in which the body cannot digest gluten. Common signs of celiac disease include vomiting, bloating, diarrhea and gas. Celiac disease commonly gets misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.
Heart Attacks
Heart attacks commonly get misdiagnosed as bronchitis, pulmonary embolism or gastritis. Women have an increased risk of not getting diagnosed with a heart attack, since they may not experience chest pains. Doctors often rule out heart attacks if the usual symptoms don't show.
Pulmonary Embolisms
Pulmonary embolisms occur from a blood clot in the lungs. An embolism causes more death than vehicle accidents and HIV together. It commonly causes shortness of breath, sweating and chest pains that may get diagnosed as anxiety or show no symptoms.
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failure to diagnose can be a case of medical malpractice. An attorney may be able to help prove failure to diagnose.