Misdiagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis

Misdiagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis

A diagnosis of chronic bronchitis may be delayed or missed because the symptoms of chronic bronchitis generally develop slowly over years and may not be apparent initially. Some symptoms, such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and pallor, can be vague and attributed to other conditions as such as aging. Other symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain as similar to symptoms for such conditions as heart attack, pneumonia, heart failure, and influenza.

Only a thorough evaluation by a physician or licensed health care provider can determine the cause of symptoms. It is important to seek prompt medical care if you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, or any other symptoms of chronic bronchitis....more about Chronic Bronchitis »

Alternative diagnoses list for Chronic Bronchitis:

For a diagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis, the following list of conditions have been mentioned in sources as possible alternative diagnoses to consider during the diagnostic process for Chronic Bronchitis:

• Atypical mycobacterial infection
• Emphysema
• Asthma
• Intersitital lung disease

Diseases for which Chronic Bronchitis may be an alternative diagnosis

The other diseases for which Chronic Bronchitis is listed as a possible alternative diagnosis in their lists include:

• Acute Bronchitis
• Acute lower respiratory conditions
• Asthma in Adults
• Asthma in Children
• Emphysema
• Primary pulmonary hypertension

Chronic Bronchitis: Hidden Causes Misdiagnosed?

Causes of Chronic Bronchitis may include these medical conditions:

• COPD
• Lung cancer - can cause recurrent bronchitis
• Heart disease
• Klinefelter syndrome, variants - chronic bronchitis
• Yellow nail syndrome - chronic bronchitis
• more causes...»

Rare Types of Chronic Bronchitis:

• Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency induced Chronic bronchitis
• Cooking smoke induced Chronic bronchitis
• Repeated lung infection induced Chronic bronchitis
• Silicosis induced Chronic bronchitis
• More rare types »

Chronic Bronchitis: Medical Mistakes

Related medical mistakes may include:

• Allergies -- Health Mistakes
• Asthma-- Health Mistakes
• COPD -- Health Mistakes
• Emphysema -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Chronic Bronchitis: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:

• Chronic Respiratory Disorders that may be Undiagnosed:
  • Asthma -- Undiagnosed
  • Allergies -- Undiagnosed
  • COPD -- Undiagnosed
  • Emphysema -- Undiagnosed
  • Chronic Bronchitis -- Undiagnosed
  • Lung Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Sinusitis -- Undiagnosed
  • Cystic Fibrosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Common Misdiagnoses and Chronic Bronchitis

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold.

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off after about 15 years. Thus, any teen or adult with a persistent cough may actually have whooping cough. This is particularly dangerous for babies too young to be vaccinated, and any un-vaccinated children. Whooping cough can be fatal to an infant. The cough symptoms of whooping cough is usually productive initially, but then becomes a persistent dry cough, lasting up to 100 days. Elderly grandparents may also be a reservoir of undiagnosed whooping cough.

Chronic lung diseases hard to diagnose: Some of the chronic lung diseases are difficult to diagnose. Even the well-knowns conditions such as asthma or lung cancer often fail to be diagnosed early. Some of the chronic lung diseases with diagnostic difficulties include asthma (perhaps surprisingly), COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, mesothelioma, smoker's cough, AIDS-related respiratory conditions (see AIDS), chronic pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases. Rare possibilities include diseases like psittacosis (bird-related lung infection). See other types of chronic lung diseases.

Chronic Bronchitis: Rare Types

Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:

• Chronic Respiratory Disorders -- Rare Types:
  • Asthma -- Rare Types
  • Allergies -- Rare Types
  • COPD -- Rare Types
  • Emphysema -- Rare Types
  • Chronic Bronchitis -- Rare Types
  • Lung Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Sinusitis -- Rare Types
  • Cystic Fibrosis -- Rare Types
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea -- Rare Types
  • more ...»
• more rare diseases...»

Failure To Diagnose Chronic Bronchitis

Failure to diagnose Chronic Bronchitis may be associated with the following:

• Undiagnosed and untreated chronic bronchitis can lead to abnormal heart rhythm, respiratory failure, emphysema, cor pulmonale, pneumonia and acute bronchitis
• Chronic bronchitis may be difficult to diagnose in situations where it co-exists with conditions such as pulmonary emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, tuberculosis, sinusitis and upper respiratory infections
• Persistent coughing may be the main feature of chronic bronchitis which tends to be ignored by many patients as it is considered a relatively benign symptom

Notes On Hidden Causes Of Chronic Bronchitis

The following may be hidden causes of Chronic Bronchitis:

• The main cause of chronic bronchitis is tobacco smoke
• Other causes of chronic bronchitis include air pollution and occupational exposure to chemical fumes, exposure to dust from grain, cotton, wood or mining product and other lung irritants
• Fire-fighters face an increased risk of developing chronic bronchitis
• Children who have suffered a bout of whooping cough or measles may be more likely to develop chronic bronchitis
• Elderly people who also have an organic disease or live in conditions that don't adequately protect them from the weather also face a greater risk of developing chronic bronchitis

Complications Of Misdiagnosis Of Chronic Bronchitis

The following may be complications of misdiagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis:

• Shortness of breath due to chronic bronchitis may be misdiagnosed as anemia, pulmonary edema, chronic heart failure, cystic fibrosis, asthma, emphysema, emphysema and pneumonia
• Persistent cough associated with chronic bronchitis may be misdiagnosed as smoker's cough

Other Notes On Misdiagnosis Of Chronic Bronchitis

• Respiratory infections in chronic bronchitis patients are generally more severe and debilitating
• Cessation of smoking can greatly improve symptoms and prognosis in emphysema patients. The risk of complications is also reduced

Misdiagnosis and Chronic Bronchitis deaths

Chronic Bronchitis is a condition that can possibly be deadly if misdiagnosed...more »

General Misdiagnosis Articles

Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.

• Misdiagnosis Overview
• How Common is Misdiagnosis?
• Over-Diagnosed Diseases
• Under-Diagnosed Diseases
• Types of Misdiagnosis
• Wrong Type Misdiagnosis
• Why Does Misdiagnosis Occur?
• Difficult Diseases to Diagnose
• More premium medical articles ...

About misdiagnosis:

When checking for a misdiagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis or confirming a diagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis, it is useful to consider what other medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative conditions relevant to diagnosis. These alternate diagnoses of Chronic Bronchitis may already have been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis. For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases, see Overview of Misdiagnosis.

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