Medically unexplained physical symptoms are symptoms for which a treating physician or other healthcare providers have found no medical cause, or whose cause remains contested. In its strictest sense, the term simply means that the cause for the symptoms is unknown or disputed—there is no scientific consensus.
Many people have persistent physical complaints, such as dizziness or pain, that don't appear to be symptoms of a medical condition. They are sometimes known as "medically unexplained symptoms" when they last for more than a few weeks, but doctors can't find a problem with the body that may be the cause.
Definition of medically unexplained symptoms
Other names such as somatisation and somatoform disorder have been replaced by somatic symptom disorder (SSD).
What should I do if I can't get a diagnosis? If you think you have an underlying disease that hasn't been diagnosed, you can ask your primary care provider for a referral to a specialist. And if you or your doctor suspect the disease could be genetic, you can always make an appointment at a medical genetics clinic.
Somatic symptom disorder is diagnosed when a person has a significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness or shortness of breath, to a level that results in major distress and/or problems functioning. The individual has excessive thoughts, feelings and behaviors relating to the physical symptoms.
People with illness anxiety disorder -- also called hypochondria or hypochondriasis -- have an unrealistic fear that they have a serious medical condition or fear that they're at high risk of becoming ill. They may misinterpret typical body functions as signs of illness.
A hypochondriac is someone who lives with the fear that they have a serious, but undiagnosed medical condition, even though diagnostic tests show there is nothing wrong with them. Hypochondriacs experience extreme anxiety from the bodily responses most people take for granted.
People with health anxiety often misinterpret normal or benign physical symptoms and attribute them to something more serious. For example, if they were to compress an arm while asleep, instead of rolling over and shaking off the numb feeling, they might worry they were having a stroke.
An idiopathic disease is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent spontaneous origin.
Munchausen syndrome (also known as factitious disorder) is a rare type of mental disorder in which a person fakes illness. The person may lie about symptoms, make themselves appear sick, or make themselves purposely unwell.
Psychosomatic disorder is a psychological condition that leads to physical symptoms, often without any medical explanation. It can affect almost any part of the body. People with the disorder tend to seek frequent medical attention, becoming frustrated with no diagnosis.
Illness anxiety disorder, sometimes called hypochondriasis or health anxiety, is worrying excessively that you are or may become seriously ill. You may have no physical symptoms.
Many diseases and infections can be asymptomatic, including those that may be potentially fatal in some people. These include (but are not limited to): tuberculosis, breast cancer, endometriosis, HIV/AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, chlamydia, hypertension, common colds/flu, and type-2 diabetes mellitus.
The term invisible illness refers to any medical condition that is not outwardly visible to others, even healthcare professionals. Invisible illnesses encompass a broad range of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, psychiatric illness, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer.
Neurological disease such as stroke, motor neurone disease, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis aren't diagnosable from blood tests. Similarly, the diagnoses of depression, schizophrenia, ADHD and autism lack a specific blood diagnostic marker.
Fatigue and nausea are symptoms that commonly occur together. In some cases, they are the result of lifestyle habits, such as poor sleep or diet, or lack of exercise. In other instances, they may signal an underlying mental or physical health issue that requires treatment.
Cancer. Cancer misdiagnosis is the most common misdiagnosed disease of all. Different types of cancers are misdiagnosed as well which is why it's important to have a complete medical history of the patient, adequate time to evaluate the patient, and complete information of symptoms and medications.
cancer. dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. advanced lung, heart, kidney and liver disease. stroke and other neurological diseases, including motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.
For some people, this situation is the start of a vicious cycle. "Anxiety and stress themselves produce these physical symptoms, and on top of that your reaction to those symptoms can make them worse. The more you focus on them, the more alarmed you become, and the more intense your symptoms become," says Dr. Barsky.