Oregon residents can have a variety of ailments that plague them. Some may be simple requiring no medical attention, while others can be complex medical conditions that require extensive treatment. In some cases, it can be difficult of everyday people to tell the difference. Therefore, people rely on doctors to give them a diagnosis. These professionals have the training and access to medical tests that are necessary in order to tell the difference between a benign problem and a serious medical disorder.
However, Oregon doctors often let people down in their treatment and diagnosis of a particular medical problem. In cases of a failure to diagnose, a patient can be left suffering from serious medical issues for much longer than they should have. As a result, patients may suffer from a worsened medical condition, permanent injuries or even death.
Some medical ailments are more likely to be misdiagnosed than others. One commonly misdiagnosed medical ailment is lupus. While lupus is known for causing joint pain, fatigue and organ damage, it is commonly misdiagnosed and confused with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis. Multiple sclerosis — an autoimmune disease — is also commonly misdiagnosed. In these cases, patients may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, lupus, Alzheimer’s or viral infections instead. Other commonly misdiagnosed aliments include Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and celiac disease.
As misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose any of these diseases can lead to serious consequences for an Oregon resident. Furthermore, other misdiagnosis — including misdiagnosed cancer — can lead to the spread of the disease. In cases where a misdiagnosis has led to injuries, people should seek legal advice. They or their loved ones may be able to recover compensation for increased medical expenses and other damages.
Source: AARP Magazine, “7 Commonly Misdiagnosed Illnesses,” accessed Sept. 28, 2014