Common Misdiagnoses of Hay Fever

Allergic rhinitis, more commonly referred to by doctors and health professionals as hay fever, is a medical condition caused by allergens in the air. Hay fever symptoms can be caused by allergens both indoors and outdoors. These allergens consist of items such as pollen, pet dander, cockroaches, and dust mites, just to name a few. Someone suffering from hay fever can have symptoms year round or only at certain periods in a year. Symptoms typically occur only or primarily around the allergens that cause a reaction. Those who suffer from the symptoms of hay fever year round may find that the symptoms escalate at certain periods of time during the year.

Diagnosis Procedure

Like all medical conditions, there is a proper procedure necessary for the correct diagnosis of hay fever. The first thing that your doctor will do is ask you for a background on the medical history of your family. This will let the doctor know if you are predisposed to developing this condition because someone else in your family suffers from allergies. After looking over your family history, the doctor will evaluate the signs and symptoms of your condition. After evaluating the symptoms, the doctor may order either a skin prick test or an allergy blood test. 

The skin prick test involves pricking the skin on the upper back or arm. This test allows common allergens to enter the body. If you are suffering from hay fever due to allergies, the test site will develop hives, indicating that your condition is hay fever. For the allergy blood test, a sample of your blood is taken and sent to a laboratory. At the lab, the technician will introduce common allergens to the blood and review the reactions. If immunoglobins elevate in the sample, this indicates you are suffering the symptoms of hay fever from allergies to one of these common allergens.

Misread, Delayed, or Missed Diagnosis

The symptoms of hay fever are similar to those of a cold, and it takes a trained professional and testing in order to determine accurately if you are suffering from symptoms of a cold or hay fever. For instance, the symptoms of hay fever that are commonly associated with the everyday cold include the following:

• Runny nose
• Nasal congestion
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Itchy roof of mouth, nose or throat
• Facial pain
• Pressure in the sinuses
• Blue skin
• Swollen skin under the eyes
• A decrease in the ability to taste or smell

The major difference in determining if these symptoms are caused by hay fever or a common cold is the presence of a fever and the color and consistency of discharge from the nose and mouth.

Consequences of Delayed Treatment and Misdiagnosis

The worst consequence of a delayed treatment or misdiagnosis when it comes to hay fever is being uncomfortable. The symptoms of hay fever can be bothersome and cause you to lose sleep and miss work or school. However, they are not life threatening. The only time when hay fever is misdiagnosed and can be detrimental to your health in a major way is if you have asthma, as this medical condition can enhance the symptoms of hay fever and cause you to not be able to breathe properly. If you do suffer harm as a result of a misdiagnosis of hay fever, and if you believe your doctor was negligent in failing to properly diagnose you, then you should consider filing a medical malpractice claim. 

Getting Help

If you believe that your doctor has committed medical malpractice in not properly diagnosing your hay fever, consulting with a lawyer is important. Your lawyer can help you to assess whether you have a claim against your doctor and what the value of your claim may be worth.