UNIT 4: DIAGNOSIS PART 1

For many years medicine has been seen as a profession far removed from glamour
and popular culture, but in recent years the TV show Dr House has popularized the
world of diagnostic medicine.

Week after week, he unfailingly manages to diagnose even the most unusual of

diseases and even has time for some fun and games. However, life in the real world
is slightly different.

Diagnostic medicine is predominantly the realm of general practitioners, or family

doctors who are usually the first contact between the patient and the medical
professionals who are there to cure them. The priority for a GP is to diagnose the
patient as quickly and accurately as possible, and to do this they will need
to examine the patient and study the symptoms which the patient has. If a patient is
presenting with a rash, then there is a good chance the doctor is looking at nothing
more serious than an allergic reaction.

Correctly diagnosing a patient is no easy matter, and takes a great deal of hard work
- something which Dr House fails to show. There are thousands of possible medical
conditions, many of which show some of the same common symptoms such
as vomiting or nausea, so in diagnosing a patient a doctor must look at the big
picture of all symptoms together rather than individually.

In doing this most diagnostic examinations will take the symptoms you have, the
symptoms you had as well as your physical and mental state into account. So the
fact that the patient has worked a 60-hour working week and is feeling fatigued can
be just as important to ascertaining the problem as the fact he has a poor diet and
has had constipation for the last three days.

It takes years of study and many more years of practice to be able to work effectively
in diagnostic medicine as to the untrained, and even trained eye two very different
symptoms can present in a surprisingly similar way. If we take the example of
a bruiseand a lesion, the causes and meanings of which can be completely different
but may appear to be almost identical, and it is only through practice and knowing
what you are looking for that you can see the difference.

Most of the time, the diagnosis will show a common illness for which the doctor
will prescribe something to help like: painkillers to stop an ache or barbiturates to
relieve insomnia but some visits may result in nothing more that some good advice
like: go to bed and rest if the patient is suffering from the common cold.

Of course with so many viruses, bacteria, conditions and disorders it is impossible for
one doctor to be able to diagnose everyone so if your GP is in doubt he will refer you
to a specialist who will be able to carry out tests to find the cause of
that tingling sensation in your foot.

Unfortunately, more and more people are turning to the internet to help with their
diagnosis rather than visiting their family doctor. Admittedly, it may save time and
money - but a computer is unable to analyze the symptoms and compare them to
you medical history, so by simply stating that you are running a fever - you could be
told there is nothing wrong, or you could be told you are dying.

So even though the real doctors may be less entertaining than Dr House, if you feel
that something is wrong, you are much better off going to you local clinic than
jumping online.

Diagnose - to identify a problem or disease by considering the symptoms

or performing an exam
I went to the doctors yesterday and he diagnosed me with the flu, so I need to stay in
bed for a week.
GP (general practitioner) - a physician who does not specialize in any particular
field of medicine
As I was feeling a bit unwell, I made an appointment with my general practitioner.
Examine - to analyze, inspect or carefully study
Before making a decision, it is important to examine all of the possibilities.

Rash - any red eruption of the skin

The symptoms include a red, itchy rash where the substance was in contact with the
skin.

Vomit - to eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth

Children who are under a lot of stress at school may occasionally vomit.
Nausea - a feeling of sickness that makes the person want to vomit
People often suffer from nausea when traveling, especially by boat.
Fatigue - physical or mental exhaustion
People working long hours in stressful jobs are at risk of fatigue.
Ascertain - to verify or confirm something
We will be running several tests to ascertain whether you have asthma or not.
Constipation - a condition in which the feces are hard and elimination
from the bowels is infrequent and difficult
If you suffer from constipation, you should try including more fiber in your diet or
maybe eating prunes.
Bruise - an injured area of a surface that becomes discolored
Seeing the dark purple bruise on her arm, her parents started to worry.
Lesion - a wound or an area of the body that has been damaged through
injury or disease
You should report any lumps or skin lesions to your doctor.

Prescribe - to recommend and give official permission for a course of

treatment
My doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics to stop infection.
Ache - a pain or feeling of discomfort, usually one that is steady and long
lasting
The side effects of the medication may include stomach aches or hair loss.
Barbiturates - substances derived from an organic compound that are
used as sedatives and sleep inducers
Patients taking barbiturates need to be careful not to become addicted.

Insomnia - an ongoing inability to sleep or stay asleep

Many people are affected by insomnia at some point during their lives but for some it
is a major problem.

carry aut - to conduct, run, do (e.g. a test)

All blood tests are carried out at the local hospital as we do not have the equipment
here in the surgery.

Symptom - a characteristic sign of something, especially a physical or

mental sign of an illness
After I had described my symptoms, the doctor asked me to lay down so he could
examine me.
running a fever - suffering from a body temperature higher than
normal
As she was running a fever, I decided to keep her home from school.