You are feeling quite unwell whether it is based on physical or mental poor health, or both. And getting the right diagnosis can be a struggle in some cases. That is because having one illness often mimics others that doctors will miss.
This is why treatment for the illness that the doctor prescribed for the patient sometimes does not work. It is due to a misdiagnosis, and let’s go over the 12 illnesses that doctors often misdiagnose.
#12 – Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is characterized by muscle pain and sometimes joint pain, as well as fatigue and sometimes gastrointestinal issues. However, what the illness that the patient is suffering from may not be fibromyalgia.
The patient may have autoimmune ailments that are causing those symptoms such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. And fibromyalgia is not autoimmune, but oftentimes autoimmune markers don’t show up which is why patients that are in fact dealing with an autoimmune disorder are diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
#11 – Heart Attack
Symptoms of heart attack are chest palpitations. arm pain, nausea, stomach pain, and dizziness. However, the heart may be fine and the symptoms are the result of something quite benign such as a panic attack or terrible indigestion. As scary as those can be, it is not a heart attack.
#10 – Stroke
Strokes are attacks of the brain that involve the blood flow being cut and interrupted and this can cause oxygen loss. However, it is rare for someone who is young to have a stroke. And quite often what is really to blame are serious migraines or an underlying condition causing serve vertigo that needs to look into further.
#9 – Depression
Depression is characterized by prolonged sadness, hopelessness, irritability, and not wanting to go back to old activities that you once loved. However, even though depression is quite common, it may be not depression that a patient has. It could be a form of bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or the result of another underlying physical condition.
#8 – Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is characterized by a lot of tumbling, not being steady, and stiffness. However, there are other neurodegenerative diseases that are similar to Parkinson’s Disease that is not being diagnosed properly. This is why extensive testing needs to be done.
#7 – Multiple Sclerosis
This debilitating autoimmune condition is often misdiagnosed as it mimics other conditions such as spondylopathy which is a vertebra disorder, B12 deficiency, or other forms of nerve damage. Diagnosing MS is difficult as it can mimic so many other illnesses. This is why patients are urged to get second opinions if they had an MS diagnosis as it may not be that.
#6 – Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid disorders are very difficult to properly diagnose which means THS hormone imbalances may not be the result of a thyroid disorder itself as it could be the result of other ailments that are affecting the thyroid.
You could be dealing with another condition that is causing imbalances of the hormones. This could be the result of either weight gain, fatigue, and being sensitive to temperatures which could be believed to be hypothyroidism.
If you are having unexplained weight loss, fast heartbeat and struggling with irritability, then you may be believed to have hyperthyroidism. More tests for other possibilities need to be conducted.
#5 – Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS is very hard to properly diagnose as it also can mimic other hormonal disorders. This is when the testosterone levels in women are high which causes infertility, irregular periods, acne, facial hair, and obesity. There are other hormonal disorders that may mimic PCOS and what makes it harder to diagnose is that not all patients with PCOS have cysts in their ovaries. Many are given that diagnosis anyway even if there is another underlying condition.
#4 – Migraine Headaches
Migraines are debilitating headaches that can cause extreme pain and nausea. However, they can be misdiagnosed as well since consistent eye strain can cause intense headaches as well as severe sinus infections. if sinus infections are cleared up and eye strain is resolved and those headaches are still going on, then more tests need to be done in order for a proper diagnosis and treatment to take place.
#3 – Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBS is characterized by the stomach and intestinal pain which can cause diarrhea, constipation, and nausea, and gas pains. However, sometimes IBS symptoms are a result of autoimmune disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease.
#2 – Heart Disease
Chest pain, shortness of breath, as well as dizzy spells all match heart disease that is advanced. However, sometimes the heart is not the problem. It can actually be the lungs and it may instead of a condition such as pulmonary embolism. This is when there is a blood clot in the lung that disrupts the oxygen flow. This can mimic heart disease symptoms.
#1 – Lupus
If fibromyalgia has been crossed off, then if a patient is experiencing what is described in #1, then it may not necessarily be lupus even if autoimmune markers come back indicating that there is an autoimmune disease. The patient may have rheumatoid arthritis instead.
It is scary to know how many illnesses really do get diagnosed, but these illnesses often mimic other illnesses that patients have. Or the vise versa situation may happen. Patients may be diagnosed with an illness that mimics the one that they think they have and as it would turn out they would have the illness they thought all along.
