Medical conditions that doctors often misdiagnose

New York residents are probably aware that serious medical conditions are sometimes difficult for doctors to identify. Symptoms of a common and minor ailment may really be caused by a far more serious condition, and sometimes even lab tests are unable to determine what the real problem is. A misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary tests and unneeded medication while the true cause of a patient's suffering remains untreated and unknown.

Some symptoms are so closely associated with a particular condition that physicians may be caught off guard when they are not present. Lyme disease is usually identified by a distinctive rash, but many patients will not have this symptom. A delayed diagnosis can be the difference between a brief illness and a debilitating disease, and residents of states like New York that have large deer populations would be wise to request Lyme disease testing when they develop any symptoms associated with the condition. Seborrheic dermatitis is also identified by a rash, but the autoimmune disease lupus may present similar symptoms.

Thyroid disorders are among the most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions. Thyroid hormones affect all parts of the body, and patients with hormone levels that are too high will have different symptoms than those with low thyroid hormone levels. Fibromyalgia is often dismissed by doctors as a figment of a patient's imagination, but the condition affects millions of Americans.

Patients who are misdiagnosed often suffer unnecessarily for months or even years, and in some cases a failure to diagnose can be the difference between life and death. Experienced medical malpractice attorneys will likely understand the challenges involved in bringing a legal action against highly respected defendants with considerable resources at their disposal, and they may call upon equally respected experts to establish that negligent behavior occurred.