Fictional diseases

9 diagnoses and pathological conditions that don't really exist

Daniil Davydov, Tinkoff Magazine

You can get a non-existent diagnosis and inadequate treatment not only in our country, but also abroad. It is difficult to calculate how often this happens, and there are many reasons why such diagnoses appear.

Some non—existent diseases are invented by adherents of alternative medicine in order to sell their services - sometimes such diagnoses are also called commercial. Other "diagnoses" are actually a variant of the norm, and others are kind of "garbage dumps" for symptoms that doctors don't have time to deal with.

In this article, we have collected 9 questionable diagnoses and tried to explain what is wrong with them.

If you or your loved ones have been diagnosed from our list, it makes sense to get a second opinion from another doctor. This will help you understand what problems the symptoms are actually associated with, and get the most effective treatment.

Our articles are written with love for evidence-based medicine. We refer to reputable sources and go to doctors with a good reputation for comments. But remember: the responsibility for your health lies with you and the attending physician. We don't write prescriptions, we give recommendations. Whether to rely on our point of view or not is up to you.

Hypoadrenia, or adrenal fatigue

What is it. Commercial diagnosis from the field of alternative medicine. According to chiropractor James Wilson, who invented this disease in 1998, hypoadrenia occurs due to physical and psychological stress, which allegedly disrupts the adrenal glands. As a result, they stop creating hormones necessary for a normal reaction to stress, and a person's health deteriorates and well-being is disturbed.

In order to restore the adrenal glands to working capacity, patients are advised to switch to a healthy lifestyle and are prescribed biologically active supplements with an extract of the adrenal glands of cattle and pigs. For example, the dietary supplement "Suprenamin", which is supposed to be taken 2-3 times a day for 10-14 days. Moreover, the course will have to be repeated every 3-6 months. One package of this supplement costs 870 rubles.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Specialists who position themselves as experts in alternative medicine. This is not only manual therapists — some endocrinologists, immunologists and therapists can make a similar diagnosis.

Who is being diagnosed. People who complain of fatigue, sleep problems, bad mood, the need for stimulants — for example, large amounts of coffee, and a very strong desire to eat sweet foods or fast food.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. All real diseases have two components:

1. The root cause is an infection or other factor that damages a particular internal organ or disrupts the interaction of several organs.
2. Signs of disorders that occur as a result of these injuries.

Even if the disease proceeds without symptoms, that is, without problems with well—being that the patient himself can notice - such as atherosclerosis in the early stages, this disease should still have signs that can be detected with the help of tests and examinations.

So, dopplerography helps to detect atherosclerosis, that is, ultrasound examination of blood vessels, and a set of biochemical analyzes, which is called a lipid profile.

But adrenal fatigue does not meet any of the criteria of a real disease.

Firstly, there is no convincing evidence that chronic stress is the root cause of adrenal dysfunction. Many modern people suffer from it, but most of them have no signs of adrenal dysfunction.

At the same time, a disease in which the adrenal glands secrete too little cortisol does exist and is called "adrenal insufficiency". But it's not stress that leads to this disease.

Primary adrenal insufficiency develops due to damage to the adrenal cortex - for example, as a result of an autoimmune disease or hemorrhage, and secondary — due to a malfunction of the pituitary gland, a small gland in the brain that controls the work of the adrenal glands.

Secondly, signs of adrenal fatigue cannot be detected by tests and examinations. This diagnosis is made simply on the basis of a questionnaire that the doctor gives to the patient. A person should answer whether he has right now or has had in the past, for example, constant stress in his personal life or at work, and whether it has been difficult for him to get up in the morning.

Endocrinologists and immunologists criticize this approach, because everyone has faced similar problems at least once in their life. If you fill out this questionnaire honestly, then "adrenal fatigue" can be diagnosed in anyone.

All this makes it possible to suspect that the diagnosis was invented solely in order to sell dietary supplements, the safety and effectiveness of which no one has checked.

What to do next. Hypoadrenia can also be "diagnosed" in a completely healthy person who is just tired. Therefore, it makes sense to rest and wait two weeks. If everything goes by itself, you don't need to do anything.

But if weakness, sleep problems and bad mood persist for more than two weeks, you need to consult a psychotherapist or a clinical psychologist — similar symptoms occur, for example, with depression.

And if these symptoms are joined by problems with appetite, headaches, muscle aches and other unpleasant sensations in the body, it makes sense to start with a visit to a therapist. The doctor will help you figure out what the problem is — after all, such symptoms can indicate many problems: from overtraining to, for example, post-ovoid syndrome.

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy

What is it. This is not a diagnosis, but a term from Soviet medicine that combines any problems associated with circulatory disorders in the brain. There can be many reasons for a violation of the blood supply to the brain: from hypertension and stroke to damage to the vessels of the brain during radiation therapy.

There are no revisions of the diagnosis of "dyscirculatory encephalopathy" in the International Classification of Diseases 10 and 11. But in different groups of diseases in the ICD-11 there is another, even more general term — encephalopathy. This term is used when they want to describe any diseases, injuries or disorders in the brain associated with any causes — from head injuries to liver diseases.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Russian neurologists.

Who is being diagnosed. Since the term "dyscirculatory encephalopathy" covers a very large number of pathologies, a variety of people fall under the criteria: from patients with moderate cognitive disorder — when a person complains of memory problems and that it has recently become more difficult for him, for example, to count in his mind, to people with dementia, walking disorders and pseudobulbar syndrome is when, due to problems with the nerves of the pharyngeal muscles, a person cannot swallow and speak normally.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. The criteria for this term are too broad. If a neurologist uses it as a diagnosis, then it says little about what is really happening to a person. Because of this, it is also impossible to choose the right treatment, because it is obvious that a forgetful, but otherwise healthy person should be treated differently than a person who cannot swallow.

In addition, people who have received such a diagnosis are often prescribed medications that do not have convincing evidence of effectiveness — antioxidants, neuroprotectors or nootropics.

What to do next. Get a second opinion from another neurologist who can clarify the diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment.

Mental retardation

What is it. Psychological and pedagogical concept, which was invented by the staff of the Soviet Research Institute of Defectology in the 60s of the last century.

After analyzing the successes of first—graders, speech pathologists — teachers who teach children with speech problems and mental disorders - came to the conclusion that about half of the children have difficulty coping with the curriculum. They suggested calling these first-graders children with mental retardation, or ZPR, and developed a correctional program for them that helped them catch up with their peers in school.

Over time, ZPR penetrated into child psychology and turned into a psychological diagnosis, which began to be made, including preschoolers — that is, children aged 5-6 years. Nowhere, except in the countries of the former USSR, this diagnosis is not used, in ICD-10 and ICD-11 it is not.

Instead, ICD-11 has a separate group of conditions called "Developmental Learning Disorder." And within this group there are many smaller and specialized subgroups: there are learning disorders associated with impaired reading, writing, and mathematical abilities. With the help of such a division, it is easier to figure out what problem the child is facing and help him.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Child psychologist or psychiatrist.

Who is being diagnosed. There are no clear criteria for a PO. As a rule, the diagnosis is made from the words of the parents. For example, if they complain that the child started walking, talking or drawing later than peers — or seems too forgetful, absent-minded or impulsive.

This means that completely healthy children, with whom they simply do not do enough, as well as children with speech and language development disorders, autism, ADHD and other features of the nervous system development can get into the ZPR group.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. In principle, ZPR cannot be considered a medical diagnosis. According to the definition, this is an anomaly of development, which is most often detected at the initial stages of training and manifests itself in difficulties in mastering knowledge, skills and abilities, adaptation to educational requirements.

However, in fact, different children face different problems during their studies, so it is wrong to combine them into one group. It is necessary to deal with the condition of each child individually and select a suitable adaptation and study program for him.

What to do next. Get a second opinion from another child psychologist or psychiatrist. Without this, it will not be possible to figure out what is really happening to the child and how to help him.

Non-existent gynecological STIs

What is it. Diagnoses that are made as real — based on bacterial culture or PCR analysis of biomaterial from the vagina or cervix.

If bacteria of the type are found in the biomaterial:

• Mycoplasma hominis — mycoplasmosis is diagnosed;
• Ureaplasma urealyticum or Ureaplasma parvum — ureaplasmosis is diagnosed;
• Gardnerella vaginalis — gardnerellosis is diagnosed.

Patients with such diagnoses are usually prescribed antibiotics. If, after a course of antibiotics, these bacteria reappear in the tests, antibiotics are prescribed again.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Most often a gynecologist, sometimes a urologist.

Who is being diagnosed. Women who have submitted a biomaterial for analysis in the direction of a gynecologist. They may not have any unpleasant symptoms at all, or they complain of itching or burning in the vagina, pain during sex, note the appearance of whitish-gray vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. There are no diagnoses of "gardnerellosis" and "ureaplasmosis" in either international or Russian clinical guidelines. There is no diagnosis of "mycoplasmosis" in them either. However, in practice, this is sometimes called STI, which is caused by mycoplasma of another species — Mycoplasma genitalium.

Unlike STI pathogens, which healthy people should not have in principle, gardnerella, both types of ureaplasma and Mycoplasma hominis can occur in the vagina in completely healthy women. Most gynecologists and microbiologists consider these bacteria to be components of the normal vaginal microflora.

Experts of the International Society for the Control of STIs do not recommend taking tests for these bacteria and getting rid of them with antibiotics, as this will not bring health benefits. But it can cause real harm, because antibiotics have side effects. For example, they destroy the beneficial intestinal microflora, and because of this, diarrhea occurs. And some drugs can provoke allergies.

What to do next. Consult with another gynecologist.

Normally, there should be no unpleasant sensations in the vagina, nor thick discharge with an unpleasant odor. But it will not work out on your own what the problem really is, since there are quite a lot of diseases and conditions with similar symptoms.

For example, thick vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor can occur with bacterial vaginosis — a condition in which a healthy ratio of bacteria on the vaginal mucosa is disrupted. Normally, mostly lactobacilli live there, which keep all other bacteria under control.

But if the number of bacterial policemen decreases for some reason, other bacteria - for example, the same gardnerella, ureaplasma and mycoplasma — begin to multiply intensively and actively secrete waste products, and as a result there are secretions. To restore a healthy ratio of bacteria in the vagina, it is necessary that the doctor prescribe the right treatment.

Sand in the kidneys

What is it. The "folk" name of small kidney stones, the size of which does not exceed 3-5 mm in diameter.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Ultrasound diagnostics doctor or radiologist.

When the diagnosis is made. Based on the results of ultrasound, X-ray or CT examination of the pelvic organs.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. Stones are formed in the kidneys, and leave them through the ureter. When the stone comes out, a person experiences excruciating pain — renal colic. And if it gets stuck, urine will stop coming out of the kidney, and as a result, a person may develop severe inflammation — pyelonephritis.

Stones form in the kidney, but leave them through the ureter

The diameter of the ureter is 6-8 mm. As a rule, stones with a diameter of up to 5 mm leave the kidneys completely painlessly, so that a person often does not even know about it. If a person does not have unpleasant symptoms, he does not need treatment. But so that the sand does not turn into stones, it is recommended to follow a drinking regime and revise the diet: reduce the amount of sweet, meat and salty.

The diameter of the ureter is 6-8 mm, so that the "sand" leaves them painlessly

What to do next. As a rule, an ultrasound diagnostician does not write "sand in the kidneys" in conclusion, but reports it in words. In this situation, it makes sense to specify the size of the stones. If the diameter is less than 3 mm, there is no reason for serious concern — to avoid the growth of stones, it is enough to limit yourself to changes in diet. And if the size of the stones is approaching 5 mm, it makes sense to consult with a nephrologist. He will tell you whether you need to change your diet, or there is no threat, so you can continue to live a normal life.

Subluxation of the cervical vertebrae

What is it. From the point of view of classical medicine, a subluxation of the cervical vertebra is a situation when, due to a neck injury that occurred, for example, as a result of a car accident, the ligaments in the back of the neck are partially torn. In this case, the upper cervical vertebra, which they held, is displaced relative to the cervical vertebra, which lies below it.

It is very painful, and the victim needs a long rehabilitation. And in some cases, to prevent further displacement of the vertebrae, a complex surgical operation is needed.

The red arrow shows the true subluxation of the vertebrae, and the red line shows the degree of displacement relative to the anatomically accurate position.

In alternative medicine, a subluxation is a small displacement of the cervical vertebra. A person can be born with it, or it occurs during life due to the gradual wear of the intervertebral discs. If the displacement of the cervical vertebrae does not exceed 50% and does not interfere with turning the head, it is not necessary to correct it.

However, proponents of alternative approaches believe that due to the harmless displacement of the cervical vertebrae, many health problems arise - from headaches to infertility. As a measure of treatment, they offer procedures during which the dislocated vertebra must be "put in place".

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Non—existent subluxation of the cervical vertebrae is a diagnosis made by chiropractors, osteopaths, and sometimes chiropractors. A real subluxation of the cervical vertebrae is a diagnosis made by traumatologists, neurologists and radiologists.

When the diagnosis is made. If a person comes to an alternative doctor with complaints of headache, back pain or neck pain.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. In most cases, headache, neck and back pain develop not at all due to displacement of the cervical vertebrae, but due to physical exertion, sudden incorrect movements, uncomfortable posture, including in sleep, improper lifting of weights - and another 30% of all cases of headache are associated with migraine. It is useless to treat all this by "setting" the cervical vertebra.

Moreover, an attempt to "put the vertebra in place" by itself can lead to serious injuries. Cases are described when manipulations of chiropractors led to the dissection of the vertebral artery — in some people it ended in a stroke.

What to do next. Agreeing to the "reduction of the cervical vertebra" is life-threatening. You should stay away from a doctor who offers such procedures.

If a headache occurs no more than 1-2 times a month, it is enough to take a tablet of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for example 400 mg of ibuprofen.

Consult a neurologist if the pain:

• occurs more often 3-5 times a month;
• unusually strong and painful;
• it is accompanied by vision problems, weakness and numbness of the hands and feet.

Often, back and neck pain goes away by itself within a week. Until then, you can take a tablet of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for example 400 mg of ibuprofen once a day.

If the neck hurts, you can put a warm compress on it, and if the back, a cold compress will do. With acute pain, it makes sense to lie down for a couple of days, but then you need to return to walking and other light loads like going to the store with a light bag. Physical activity will help you recover sooner. But do not forget about sports after recovery. Regular exercises strengthen the muscles of the back and neck — and this reduces the likelihood that the neck will hurt in the future.

If back and neck pain does not go away in a week, consult a neurologist.

Leaky gut syndrome

What is it. Commercial diagnosis from the field of alternative medicine. According to immunologist Alessio Fasano, who invented this disease in 2003, under the influence of gluten, sugar, dairy products, bacteria and their toxins, some drugs, parasites and stress, the walls between the intestinal cells gradually collapse, and the contents of the intestine enter the bloodstream.

The immune system reacts to the invasion too powerfully, damaging healthy cells. According to Fasano, because of this, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, depression and many other diseases develop. It is proposed to treat all these conditions with dietary supplements that contain probiotics — supplements with beneficial intestinal bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium groups.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. The supporters of the concept may be doctors of any specialties, but more often they are gastroenterologists, nutritionists or therapists.

When the diagnosis is made. The diagnosis is so universal that it fits almost any complaint. Most often it is put to people who complain of fatigue, excess weight and skin problems.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. Diseases in which intestinal permeability is impaired do exist. These are, for example, autoimmune diseases like celiac disease and Crohn's disease. But a person without a genetic predisposition cannot get sick with them, no matter what he eats and no matter how he lives.

The second group of diseases in which intestinal permeability is impaired is intestinal infections. They are really caused by parasites, pathogenic viruses and bacteria and parasites.

At the same time, there is no convincing evidence that large molecules from the intestine that get into the blood trigger an immune response that leads to any diseases.

In addition, leaky bowel syndrome has the same problem as another commercial diagnosis — adrenal fatigue. This diagnosis is also made on the basis of nonspecific symptoms, which may indicate a host of other diseases. All this makes it possible to suspect that leaky gut syndrome was also invented mainly in order to distribute supplements with probiotics.

What to do next. Get a second opinion from another gastroenterologist, nutritionist or therapist.

A frequently ill child

What is it. The concept proposed by Soviet pediatricians Valery Albitsky and Alexander Baranov in 1986. They considered those who caught colds to be often ill children:

under the age of one year — four or more times a year;
in 1-3 years — six or more times a year;
in 4-5 years — five or more times a year;
older than 5 years — four or more times a year.

According to Soviet pediatricians, the health of these children is more fragile than that of their peers, so it makes sense for parents to closely monitor their health and regularly take them to the polyclinic for examination.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. Pediatrician.

When the diagnosis is made. As a rule, pediatricians refer children to the BPD group without any tests and examinations, just from the words of their parents.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. It is normal for a child from six months to six years old to catch a cold 6-8 times a year. The child's immune system is still young and inexperienced. To learn how to protect yourself from colds, the immune system needs to get acquainted with the most common cold viruses and learn from all the vaccinations that children are supposed to do.

As the immune system is trained, the child gets sick less and less often. High school students and adults without chronic diseases on average catch a cold only 2-4 times a year.

What to do next. If frequent colds are the only problem, and the child is growing and developing normally, there is no point in continuing to examine him again.

It is necessary to continue the examination only if the child has two or more of the following signs:

• there are people in the child's family with confirmed primary immunodeficiency;
• the child is not gaining weight or cannot grow normally;
• within one year, the child had four or more ear infections, or two or more nose infections, or two or more pneumonia, that is, pneumonia;
• the child has a constant thrush in the mouth or a fungal infection on the skin;
• the child suffers from deep abscesses, that is, ulcers on the body that come back again and again;
• the child had two or more serious infections, including sepsis, that is, blood poisoning;
• the child was treated with antibiotics for two months or longer, but it did not help;
• to cure infections, the child has to be given antibiotics intravenously.

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

What is it. A condition in which a person complains of health problems associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields — for example, from wires or household appliances.

Which doctor makes the diagnosis. There is no such diagnosis, patients "put" it to themselves. But, suspecting electromagnetic hypersensitivity, people, as a rule, turn to therapists and dermatologists with these problems.

When the diagnosis is made. Symptoms are usually nonspecific and diverse. They can be associated with the skin — usually it's redness, tingling and burning, and with general well—being - it's fatigue, problems with concentration, dizziness, nausea, palpitations and digestive disorders.

What's wrong with the diagnosis. There is no evidence that electromagnetic radiation, which is generated during the operation of phones, chargers, irons or any other household appliances, somehow affects people's health.

Although very powerful magnetic fields can cause a weak electric current in the human body, which could interfere with the normal functioning of muscles and nerve cells, household magnetic fields are too weak for this.

Even the most powerful magnetic fields that break mobile phones in electrolysis workshops do not cause the slightest harm to the people working there.

Of course, it can be assumed that the workers chose such a job only because they do not care about electromagnetic fields. However, studies show that if people who complain of hypersensitivity are told that a magnetic field is now affecting them, they develop symptoms — even if in fact there was not a single electrical appliance turned on nearby.

What to do next. To get rid of unpleasant sensations, it makes sense to consult with a psychotherapist. Even if the symptoms that people complain about are not actually related to electromagnetic fields, this does not mean that they are making them up. Perhaps we are talking about a hypochondriac disorder — a real condition that can be successfully treated.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru