Like most of your friends in the Hinesville area, you have tremendous respect for medical professionals. After all, doctors go to school for years to understand how to diagnose and treat illnesses. Some even complete prestigious internships or fellowships. Still, doctors are not perfect.
Because you do not want to offend the physician, asking for a second opinion can be tough. Nonetheless, to ensure you receive appropriate care, you usually must advocate for yourself. If you fail to do so, you may have to deal with the health consequences of a misdiagnosis. Here are five times getting a second opinion usually makes sense.
1. Your physician cannot determine what is wrong
Few things are more frustrating than feeling ill and not having answers. If your doctor gives you a clean bill of health despite your symptoms, you probably want to find a different doctor.
2. Your physician has a limited practice
General practitioners are good at diagnosing and treating common illnesses. Unfortunately, they also often lack the equipment to diagnose all medical conditions. Rather than relying on a limited diagnosis, you may want to get input from another doctor.
3. Your diagnosis is uncommon
Rare medical conditions obviously occur, but they are uncommon. If your doctor diagnoses you with an unusual illness, you may want to ask a specialist to confirm it. Also, you may want to seek a second opinion before undergoing treatment for an uncommon disorder.
4. Your treatment options appear limited
As you probably know, there is usually more than one way to treat an illness. If your doctor presents only limited options, you may not have the full picture. Asking another doctor to examine you and recommend a course of action is not a bad idea.
5. Your doctor makes you feel uncomfortable
Your health is vitally important. If you do not feel comfortable talking about sensitive subjects with your physician, you may not receive the right diagnosis. Or, you may pursue treatment that does not work. Either way, you may want to find a doctor who listens to your concerns and makes you feel relaxed.
Fortunately, you can usually trust your doctor to give you useful information. You do not, however, have to blindly accept a physician’s diagnosis or treatment plan. By asking for a second or third opinion, you likely increase your odds of receiving excellent care.