Monday, August 15, 2011

Don't Be a Victim of a Misdiagnosis!

It is always important to help your doctor get everything right when it comes to your health case history.
Tell your history well, be focused and concise. State what are the symptoms bothering you, are they getting worse? has it improved? Are there any treatment you made? All those things.

Call you doctor if you're not givent he results promptly. Bring your documents from other offices such as lab results, doctor's notes, etc..when you go to your doctor's appointment. If one doctor orders a test, get the results and take them to your other doctor.

Do your own research about your diagnosis and check if your symptoms match up with the symptoms on your research. You can also find out which test are usually done to detect your disease. If you haven't gottne those tests, that's a sign you may not have the right diagnosis.

Watch out for the red flags of misdiagnosis, like is your diagnosis based only on one lab test? Are your symptoms common (like sore throat or fatigue) yet your diagnosis sounds rare? Are your symptoms improving with treatment? If any of these ones apply to you, it doesn't mean you are misdiagnosed, but you should always still be wary.

If there are more than one diagnosis and your doctor singled out the one she did, ask if there are any tests that would help determine the right diagnosis. If you haven't had these tests, ask why. One simple question could save you from a misdiagnosis.

Seek a second opinion if you suspect you're misdiagnosed or if your questions aren't answered. Go to a doctor who isn't connected to your own doctor. Sometimes friends might hesitate to contradict each other.

When your inner voice seems to be telling you something, don't ignore it. If something doesn't make sense, always ask your doctor.


Sent from my iPad

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