People who are sick or have a medical problem expect doctors to get to the bottom of it. Most patients believe that medical practitioners will be able to identify an illness and provide the appropriate treatment for it, but this does not always happen. In fact, there are a few conditions that are quite frequently misdiagnosed, leading to delayed or even improper treatment.
One condition that is frequently misdiagnosed is a thyroid problem. The thyroid hormone affects almost all of the body, and having an overactive and an under-active thyroid produces diametrically opposite symptoms. Additionally, many common symptoms are similar to those of other conditions.
Celiac disease is another condition that frequently throws off doctors. This is because the disease has vague symptoms, and although it is a disease that is caused by a negative reaction to gluten, it does not always come with signs of digestive issues. Fibromyalgia is also frequently given the wrong diagnosis. One expert suggests that 85 percent of cases are misdiagnosed and that doctors are not properly trained to identify it. The disease effects around 6 million people, and there is no specific blood test or lab result that can definitively confirm that someone has Fibromyalgia.
If a failed or delayed diagnosis was a result of doctor error or other form of negligence, the patient may have cause to consider the filing of a medical malpractice lawsuit against the practitioner. These types of lawsuits are grounded upon the failure to exercise the proper standard of care, and an attorney for the patient can attempt to demonstrate that through the pertinent medical records and expert testimony.