There are many reasons why patients in Oregon may be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed when they have a serious medical condition. Some of the reasons for diagnostic errors include inaccurate tests, doctor negligence or a lack of full disclosure of symptoms by the patient. There are also a lot of medical issues that are difficult to diagnose because their symptoms are similar to those of other conditions.
Some medical conditions are misdiagnosed more frequently than others, so it is important to be aware of them. Thyroid dysfunction is a relatively common medical problem that is often missed by doctors. About 60 percent of the 20 million people in the U.S. who have thyroid dysfunction don’t know that they have it. Women who are not diagnosed with thyroid dysfunction could experience infertility or problems during pregnancy.
Another commonly misdiagnosed condition is vitamin D deficiency. While a majority of people in the U.S. are deficient in vitamin D, most people do not know that their fatigue, weight gain, headaches, constipation and other problems could be treated with a vitamin D supplement. Another commonly misdiagnosed medical condition that can be the cause of a range of unexplained problems is adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue can cause sleep issues, emotional problems, body aches and hair loss.
If a doctor does not take appropriate diagnostic tests, the patient could end up being hurt by a misdiagnosis. By failing to diagnose a condition, a doctor could be culpable of negligence. In such a case, a misdiagnosed patient may file a medical malpractice claim against the doctor who evaluated their symptoms.