COMMON ILLNESSES THAT DOCTORS MISDIAGNOSE AND TREAT WRONG
THE MOST OFTEN
There are several factors which can affect a doctor’s ability to diagnose a patient’s symptoms. Sometimes a doctor’s lack of knowledge of a disease can place certain limitations on his or her ability to diagnose a specific problem. At other times the elaborate array of tests doctors now have to help in making their diagnoses aren’t always conclusive, and doctors sometimes have trouble interpreting them.
To further complicate the process, the specialist may not have a complete medical history and physical exam to refer to. There are also many diseases that have similar symptoms, making their diagnosis difficult. As a result, diagnosis is not an “exact” science. Here are several of the most commonly misdiagnosed, or hard to diagnose diseases and illnesses:
1) Osteoporosis— in a study conducted at the University of Kansas in Kansas City, researchers evaluated 180 women who had either had or were suspected of having osteoporosis. The researchers learned that in 46 percent of the women involved in the study, there were other health factors that could cause or worsen the disease but that had gone undetected by their doctors. Among those factors: menopause before age 40, thyroid disease, asthma or other lung diseases, and a loss of calcium through the kidneys. The researchers recommend that women should furnish their doctors with a complete and detailed medical history.
2) Food sensitivity— this involves an abnormal reaction to food or a food additive. It may or may not be caused by a food allergy. The illness can cause vomiting and/or diarrhea; hives; headaches and stomachaches; fatigue; respiratory problems; and severe cases can result in a life-threatening allergic reaction.
The symptoms are vague and may be hard to diagnose because they can suggest any number of illnesses. It is also difficult to track down the precise food causing the problem.
The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, 611 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wl 53202, can furnish you more information on food sensitivity. Write, or call, 414-272-6701.
3) Rheumatoid arthritis— this is an autoimmune affliction that causes inflammation of the joints. Its symptoms may include pain when moving; swollen, tender and painful wrist, knuckle or finger joints; stiffness; and difficulty forming a fist.
The problem can be hard to diagnose because blood tests may produce false-negative results. The symptoms are also similar to many other autoimmune disorders.
To get more information, you can write to: Arthritis Foundation, P.O. Box 19000, Atlanta, GA 30326, or call, 800-283-7800.
*242\27\8*
