Contents:
- Medical Video: A Doctor's Error Almost Killed Me
- 1. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- 2. Celiac disease
- 3. Fibromyalgia
- 4. Multiple sclerosis
- 5. Rheumatism
Medical Video: A Doctor's Error Almost Killed Me
Have you ever felt pain or symptoms in your body that is difficult to explain? To find out the cause, of course you must go to the doctor. However, sometimes doctors also find it difficult to recognize a disorder or medical condition that occurs in your body. In fact, the severity can cause doctors to misdiagnose diseases, although this is very rare.
Reporting from ABC News, Dr. David Fleming, chairman of the American College of Physicians and a lecturer in medical science at the University of Missouri said, "Everyone shows symptoms of different diseases. Especially if what appears is not a common symptom. "To get a correct diagnosis, patients must undergo various tests.
What are the conditions that often make the doctor wrong diagnosis of the disease? Consider the following review.
1. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Not all diseases can be diagnosed only from the symptoms caused. Because most diseases show symptoms that are almost like other diseases. To find out what the disease is for sure, elimination diagnosis needs to be done, which is to rule out some diseases to look for the most potential.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), for example. IBS is a chronic condition that causes the large intestine to become inflamed and cause symptoms of abdominal pain, cramps, flatulence, diarrhea, or constipation. Many problems with digestive disorders that have symptoms similar to IBS.
To establish a diagnosis, the patient at least feels these symptoms for 3 to 6 months. Men and women have similar symptoms, except that women will experience more severe symptoms during menstruation. The elimination diagnosis that doctors make for this condition includes:
- Study diet to set aside possible food allergies
- Test stool samples to rule out infection
- Blood test to check for possible anemia and exclude Celiac disease
- Colonoscopy (procedure for seeing irritation of the intestine or cancer)
2. Celiac disease
Until now, Celiac disease has become a disease that is quite difficult to diagnose. Because the average new patient is diagnosed correctly within 6 to 10 years thereafter. Celiac disease shows the body's immune response to gluten, which triggers inflammation in the small intestine.
People who have this condition will usually experience digestive disorders, especially diarrhea after eating foods that contain gluten, such as wheat. Other symptoms include itching of the skin, joint pain, increased stomach acid, and weight loss. Unfortunately, only half of patients experience diarrhea and weight loss.
In order not to be misdiagnosed, the doctor must do a physical examination and medical history first. Then, the patient will be asked to do a blood test. People with Celiac disease generally have high levels of certain antibodies, such as antiendomysium (EMA) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTGA).
People who have DH (dermatitis herpetiformis) - another symptom of Celiac disease - can do a skin biopsy. Small pieces of skin from the patient's skin will be examined with a microscope. In addition, patients may be advised to do endoscopy to see damage to the small intestine.
3. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that causes pain in the bones and muscles and causes fatigue. Reporting from Health.com, when doctors cannot find the cause of chronic pain and fatigue in patients, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia will be determined. In one study, people who had certain symptoms were diagnosed with fibromyalgia in rheumatology and diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome in gastroenterology.
To get the right diagnosis, the doctor will analyze the symptoms that appear in the patient. Usually pain and pain in the bones or muscles will expand and continue to occur more than three months. There are no specific tests to detect this condition, but blood tests can help set aside other possible conditions.
4. Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs when the body's immune system attacks the body's own cells and interferes with brain communication with other body parts. Symptoms of MS include frequent numbness in the body, weakness, and tingling. This condition occurs can get worse or disappear at any time, depending on how much the number of lesions in the brain.
Doctors can be misdiagnosed because the symptoms sometimes appear and sometimes disappear. To get the right diagnosis, patients need to take several tests, such as:
- MRI imaging tests to determine damage to the brain and spinal cord
- Lumbar puncture to find fluid abnormalities in the spine and get rid of infectious diseases
- Blood tests and nerve stimulation tests to determine electrical activity in the brain
5. Rheumatism
Rheumatism or arthritis causes aches and pains in the bones and joints caused by autoimmune disorders. This disease can occur to anyone and at any time, unlike osteoarthritis which often appears in the elderly. Pain or stiffness in the joints can be caused by many things so the doctor may be misdiagnosed.
To detect inflammation in the joints, the doctor will do a physical examination, which is to see swelling, redness, and test the reflexes and muscle strength. Then, a blood test will be performed to see the levels of RA antibodies that cause inflammation and do imaging tests to see how severe the inflammation is in the joints.
