Why are medical misdiagnoses so common?

Many Ohio residents may end up facing medical crises in their lifetimes. Sadly, medical misdiagnoses are very common and happen more than you might think.

What is a medical misdiagnosis?

A medical misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor or other health care professional mistakenly diagnoses a person with a certain medical condition when they have a different one. A misdiagnosis can happen because the symptoms the patient exhibits closely match up with another type of medical condition or illness. It can also occur when a doctor claims that the patient does not have a condition that they are later determined as having.

Whatever the situation, a medical misdiagnosis can seriously impact a person’s life. Depending on the condition, some misdiagnoses can even end up proving fatal for the patient.

What are signs that you’ve been misdiagnosed?

There are certain signs that can indicate that you have been medically misdiagnosed. One of the most telling is that you were prescribed medication that doesn’t make you feel better. In some cases, you have to take certain medications for a while before they begin working. If your symptoms don’t seem to improve over time, you should have your guard up and might want to consider getting a second opinion.

If you see another doctor for a second opinion and their diagnosis is different from what the first doctor told you, it is possible that you were initially misdiagnosed.

Doctors are also supposed to listen to you when you describe your symptoms and how you feel. If a doctor made a diagnosis without first allowing you to describe all your symptoms, you could be the victim of a medical misdiagnosis. Doctors also must not dismiss you, offer to run tests or refer you to a specialist.

Sadly, medical misdiagnoses are common. Women and people of color are more likely to be misdiagnosed. If a doctor has wrongfully diagnosed you, it’s your right to hold them accountable.