Learn about some diseases that are difficult to diagnose

Some diseases have many non-specific symptoms and each person experiences different symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose. Furthermore, there is not always a suitable test for the doctor to make a definitive diagnosis. Diseases that are difficult to diagnose often include digestive and autoimmune disorders.

1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

This condition causes you to have pain in your abdomen and change your bowel habits for at least 3 months. This is also one of the diseases of unknown cause. For the differential diagnosis, the doctor will need to rule out other conditions such as lactose intolerance, celiac disease, bacterial or parasitic infection, etc. Only then can they make a conclusion. disease with irritable bowel syndrome.

2. Celiac Disease

When you have the disease, your body will mistakenly attack your digestive tract if you eat gluten - a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The disease often causes diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. In addition, sufferers may also experience joint pain, rashes, headaches, depression, and seizures. However, many other medical conditions can also cause some of the same symptoms, such as ulcers, Crohn's disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. So, your doctor usually has to do a blood test and take a small piece of bowel (biopsy) to diagnose if you have Celiac disease.

3. Appendicitis

The appendix is ​​a small, finger-sized pouch attached to the intestines. When the appendix becomes inflamed, you may experience pain around the navel. The pain usually starts suddenly and spreads downward as the pain gets worse. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, fever, constipation, or diarrhea. Appendicitis is difficult to diagnose because Crohn's disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, intestinal obstruction, and colitis can also present. To find out if you have the disease, you need a physical exam and imaging tests.
Viêm ruột thừa là bệnh khó chẩn đoán
Viêm ruột thừa là bệnh khó chẩn đoán

4. Strong Armor

When the thyroid gland in the neck makes too much of the hormone thyroxine, it causes hyperthyroidism. You may be nervous, anxious, or irritable. However, these symptoms resemble a form of mood disorder. Because it is difficult to diagnose, you need to tell your doctor about all the symptoms you experience, such as weight loss, heart palpitations, or unusual sweating. The more characteristic symptoms, combined with blood tests, can help guide the doctor towards the right diagnosis.

5. Hypothyroidism

If you feel sluggish and gain weight, those could be signs that your thyroid isn't producing enough thyroxine. Hypothyroidism can also cause hair loss, change bowel movements, and make you more sensitive to heat and cold. These symptoms combined with blood test results can help your doctor determine if you have hypothyroidism.

6. Sleep apnea

The patient's breathing will stop on its own for a few seconds during sleep and repeat several times. This condition can make you irritable and lightheaded in the morning, accompanied by dry mouth, sore throat, and headaches. However, it could also be a sign of the flu, a cold, or another medical condition. To know for sure this difficult disease to diagnose, your doctor needs to study your sleep, also known as polysomnography. Specifically, the technician will record brain activity, heart rate, breathing rate and oxygen levels, as well as sleep sounds (if any).

7. Lyme disease

A type of tick will infect the bacteria that cause Lyme disease through a bite. A bull's-eye rash (with two circular red patches that look like a target shot) is a sign that you've been infected, but it doesn't always show up. Patients may also experience headaches, joint pain, and dizziness, but these symptoms can be caused by many other causes. Although early treatment for Lyme disease is important, signs of the disease may not show up on blood tests for several weeks. So scientists are looking for more optimal ways to diagnose Lyme disease.
Một trong số các căn bệnh khó chẩn đoán là chứng ngưng thở khi ngủ
Một trong số các căn bệnh khó chẩn đoán là chứng ngưng thở khi ngủ

8. Fibromyalgia

There are no tests that show that a patient has fibromyalgia. Therefore, the doctor first needs to rule out causes of pain that are not due to arthritis, lupus, ... If you have unusual symptoms of sleep or mental clarity, the doctor also needs to rule it out. depression or anxiety before drawing conclusions. Once you've been sure to rule out other causes and closely monitor your symptoms for a while, your doctor can diagnose you with fibromyalgia. This condition is also classified as diseases of unknown cause.

9. Lupus

Lupus is a condition in which the immune system, which is supposed to protect the body, mistakenly attacks tissues and joints. Like some arthritis and fibromyalgia conditions, lupus can leave you tired and achy all over. Doctors can also identify lupus by the rash, but not everyone has this symptom. There is no test that will tell you that you have lupus. Furthermore, symptoms can vary from person to person, and they can go away on their own after a while and then recur. A physical exam and tests can rule out other conditions, and then your doctor will continue to monitor your symptoms before determining lupus. Lupus erythematosus is also on the list of incurable diseases, sufferers find a way to live with and fight the disease for a long time.

10. Parkinson's disease

This condition causes brain cells to stop working as they should. Patients may experience arm tremors, stiff neck, difficulty balancing, and facial changes. However, it can also be a sign of stroke, head injury, Alzheimer's disease, and even stress. Currently, there is no standard test or test to diagnose the disease, so it can take years to be sure if a person has Parkinson's disease. Imaging tests that show how the brain uses the chemical dopamine can aid doctors in making a diagnosis. Along with lupus, Parkinson's is also one of the most difficult diseases to treat.

11. Multiple sclerosis (MS)

The disease causes your immune system to mistakenly attack the coatings on certain nerve endings. This condition makes it difficult for the brain to control the body, leading to fatigue, vision problems, weakness, dizziness, depression, etc. However, these symptoms can also suggest a number of other diseases. There is no specific test to confirm MS, but imaging scans or spinal fluid tests can support the diagnosis.
Đa xơ cứng là một loại bệnh khó chẩn đoán, bác sĩ cần quét hình ảnh để chẩn đoán
Đa xơ cứng là một loại bệnh khó chẩn đoán, bác sĩ cần quét hình ảnh để chẩn đoán

12. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

If you feel tired all the time, lasting for 6 months or more for no apparent reason, you may be thinking of chronic fatigue. The condition can also cause sore throats, headaches, muscle aches, trouble sleeping, and trouble concentrating. But this is a sign of sleep apnea, insomnia, thyroid disease, anemia, diabetes, and many other conditions. There is no test for chronic fatigue syndrome, so doctors must rule out other causes before making a diagnosis.

13. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)


The three symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome include:
Cysts on one or both ovaries. Missing or irregular periods. Signs of high androgen hormone levels, like extra hair growth or acne. If you have these symptoms, your doctor may do blood tests to rule out other conditions, such as a thyroid problem. In addition, the patient is also reviewed medical history, health and ovarian ultrasound to diagnose PCOS accurately.

14. Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue lining the uterus grows on the outside instead of inside as usual. Women with the condition will experience severe lower abdominal pain and problems getting pregnant. Endometriosis can be confused with another condition that also causes pain in this area, like an ovarian cyst or irritable bowel syndrome. The only way to diagnose is laparoscopy. In it, the doctor places a thin tube with a light and lens through a cut in your abdomen to look at it. Sometimes the doctor also needs to take a tissue sample for testing.
Above is information about some diseases that are often difficult to diagnose accurately. Please follow the website: Vinmec.com regularly to update many other useful information.

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Reference source: webmd.com
Bài viết này được viết cho người đọc tại Sài Gòn, Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh, Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, Hạ Long, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng.

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