The most common form of medical malpractice is the misdiagnosis of an illness. This occurs when a doctor fails to tell you about an illness you have or diagnoses you with the wrong illness. If you do not receive a proper diagnosis, you cannot start treatment at the right time and may suffer from worse conditions later. The wrong treatment could also result in painful side effects.
If you or your loved one has been misdiagnosed by a doctor you trusted, you deserve compensation. Even though doctors are humans and are bound to make mistakes at some point, the mistakes that endanger a person’s life are not excusable. Speak to Richardson Personal Injury Lawyer today and know your options.
Most commonly misdiagnosed illnesses
- Cancer.
The most commonly misdiagnosed illness is cancer. There are various types of cancers, but the most frequently misdiagnosed ones include:
- Melanoma
- Breast cancer
- Lymphoma
- Sarcoma
There are various factors that contribute to a misdiagnosis. For example, important information could be missing from the patient’s medical history, or the doctor did not give enough time during a medical exam to determine the signs of cancer.
- Heart attack.
Heart attacks are extremely complex to diagnose because most people do not show common signs, such as severe chest pain. Many symptoms are linked with heart attacks, which can vary depending on a person’s age. A younger person is much more likely to feel chest pain than an older person, and the older person may even confuse a heart attack with a less serious condition such as indigestion.
- Strokes.
Strokes are very serious illnesses, and expert medical care should be given to such patients. However, doctors in Richardson misdiagnose tens of thousands of strokes every year and miss the signs such as vertigo, confusion, dizziness, and numbness in the face. As a result, patients do not get the critical treatment and rehabilitation needed.
- Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a condition caused by a tick bite. The early and common symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and rash. If not diagnosed and treated at the right time, the condition can spread to the patient’s other body parts, such as the heart, joints, and nervous system. Since it has similar symptoms to fibromyalgia, meningitis, depression, and flu, doctors are often mistaken.
Some more symptoms associated with Lyme disease include:
- Muscle and joint pain
- Stiffness of the neck
- Face twitching
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin rash
- Shortness of breath
- Soreness of the chest and ribs
