When Should You Get a Second Opinion?

It can sometimes be difficult to determine when it is appropriate to get a second opinion on a medical issue, especially if you are worried about offending your primary care physician.

Instead of taking their ego into account, however, you need to make sure that you are always looking out for yourself.

Surprisingly, there are even some situations when your doctor would not only expect you to a second opinion, but they might even recommend it.

If your doctor has diagnosed you with any of the following illnesses, you should definitely seek out a second opinion.

Terminal Cancer

Regardless of which form of cancer it is, you should always get a second opinion if a doctor tells you that you have cancer that cannot be treated.

Not only can doctors be wrong about this diagnosis, but it is also extremely important that you do not make plans that revolve around a terminal illness unless you are 100 percent certain that you actually have one.

Non-Terminal Cancer

Although a non-terminal case of cancer can be successfully treated, it is still important to make sure that you have been properly diagnosed before you begin a treatment program.

After all, chemotherapy and many of the other drugs that are used to treat cancer are extremely harsh on your body, and you should prevent yourself from going through the process if it is unnecessary.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Also commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, ALS is a life-altering illness, and it is really important to get a second opinion. According to ALSA.org, approximately 15 percent of ALS patients are initially misdiagnosed, and this can lead to complications.

Brain Tumor

When a doctor diagnoses their patient with a brain tumor, it is both common and expected for that patient to get a second opinion.

The most important thing to remember, however, is that a course of treatment must be started as soon as possible if you want to survive, so you must obtain the second opinion very quickly.

Parkinson’s Disease

Because it is so difficult to determine if someone has Parkinson’s Disease, it definitely makes the most sense to get a second opinion. In fact, some medical experts have indicated that the misdiagnosis rate is as high as 30 percent.

Therefore, it is extremely important to take the time to visit at least one additional doctor before you begin a course of treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.

What If The Two Doctors Disagree?

If you receive two completely different opinions about your medical health, you may wish to go to a third doctor to receive some clarity on who is actually correct.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of illnesses that present symptoms that are common in multiple different diseases. Therefore, you should never simply accept a life-altering diagnoses without exploring other options.

Can I Sue For a Misdiagnosis?

Filing a medical malpractice case can be difficult, especially in a situation such as Parkinson’s Disease where it is hard to make an accurate diagnosis.

However, if your doctor misdiagnosis something very simple that any doctor would be expected to easily diagnosis, you might be able to file a successful malpractice lawsuit.

Either way, though, the first step will be to get a second opinion. As you can see, it is always in your best interests to verify any serious diagnosis.