| When is a Specialist the Wrong Specialist for You? If your stomach is upset, you may be referred to a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists take care of problems related to our digestive systems. So seeing a gastroenterologist for stomach upsets makes sense. If you have terrible headaches, or a tingling feeling in your hands or feet, you may be referred to a neurologist. A neurologist is trained to diagnose and care for problems with the head, neck, balance, reflexes and other problems including memory and cognitive abilities. That gastroenterologist or neurologist may pull out all the stops in trying to diagnose you. She will gather evidence in a variety of ways by observing you and your symptoms, running tests and studying your medical history. But she may still have a problem determining your true diagnosis. Of course, without a true diagnosis, suggested treatment options may not help you. If you have had trouble getting a correct diagnosis, consider the possibility that you have been seeing the wrong kind of specialist. In fact, that specialist’s knowledge of his specialty area will be so extensive and specific that he may not consider that your problem is based in another body system that he knows far less about. As an example: headaches can be caused not just by neurological problems, but by sinus problems, infections, high blood pressure, dental problems, eye diseases, arthritis – hundreds of causes. Those problems are treated by ophthalmologists, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, dentists and others. Stomach problems may have other causes than those related to your digestion, too. From liver problems to female problems to thyroid diseases; rather than getting a diagnosis from a gastroenterologist, you may need to see a gynecologist, urologist or an endocrinologist to get the right answers for you. How can you know who else might be able to help you? Return to your primary care physician who can be your specialist coordinator. Make sure your PCP has copies of the records for the specialist you’ve already seen. Then ask what other body system could cause your symptoms, and ask to be referred to a specialist who takes care of that alternative body system. Sharp patients know that seeking information from other kinds of specialists may be the ticket to getting the right diagnosis. Want to talk about this column?
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~ © 2007 Trisha Torrey | 
