It’s about time — 4 conditions that can take time to detect

My past eight years in the clinic have taught me that if I can detect a serious condition early on, there’s a much better chance of a good outcome for my patient. However, a timely diagnosis is often easier said than given. There are more than 10,000 known conditions and a complex constellation of symptoms, yet a limited number of tests. Unsurprisingly, getting the right diagnosis sometimes takes time.

Here are three reasons conditions take time to diagnose, four typically tricky conditions, tips to help you promptly recognize warning signs, and top takeaways to get you on a timely path to recovery.

No symptoms

Some conditions, such as high blood pressure, can have no symptoms. Also known as ‘hypertension’, high blood pressure is often ‘silent’ or symptom-less unless it’s very high, in which case it can cause vomiting, headaches and blurred vision. High blood pressure is often found during a routine health check. If untreated, it can damage the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes, and can also increase risk of stroke or heart failure. The good news is that in most cases, high blood pressure can be treated with simple lifestyle changes, such as exercising more, losing weight, and reducing the salt in your diet.

Tip: Get an annual blood pressure check. A one-off high blood pressure doesn’t always mean you have this condition — blood pressure often fluctuates, for example, if you are stressed.

Vague symptoms

Diabetes, specifically Type II, can also be silent or have vague symptoms that are often easily ignored, such as tiredness or urinating more frequently. Diabetes is often detected during a routine blood or urine test. There’s good evidence that early detection leads to effective lifestyle interventions that can slow down, halt, or even reverse the condition before lasting damage occurs.

Tip: Feeling generally unwell, tired, or urinating more frequently? Get a blood test to check your glucose (sugar) level. This is particularly important if you are pregnant, overweight, or have a family history of diabetes.

More serious conditions can also evade detection. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Western world, yet its vague or seemingly trivial symptoms, such as tiredness, a persistent cough, or shortness of breath are often ignored. Again, early detection can make it easier to treat or even cure this condition.

Tip: If you have a cough that lasts more than three weeks, or develop new, unexplained symptoms such as shortness of breath, see a doctor without delay.

Disappearing symptoms

Then there are conditions that are seemingly destined for late detection. Multiple sclerosis can begin with brief and short-lived symptoms, such as blurred vision in one eye, that then vanish for months, or even years, before returning as something different, such as numbness and tingling in one leg. Given there is no single test for multiple sclerosis and it can overlap with other conditions, it is diagnostically challenging.

Tip: New, unexplained symptoms affecting the eyes, arms, or legs? Many other less serious conditions can have similar symptoms, but it’s worth discussing with your doctor.

Top takeaways

• Be aware of your body: if something isn’t feeling right, or a symptom is persisting longer than expected, take note and discuss it with your doctor.
• Don’t panic: some of the symptoms mentioned here are not necessarily a sign of any medical condition.
• Tell Ada: if you have a vague worry that doesn’t seem worth seeing your doctor about, a quick symptom assessment can provide useful information.
• See your doctor: if you are concerned you may have any of the symptoms mentioned here.

Here’s to your good health!

Dr. Adel

The personal opinions of our writers are their own. All interviewees are trained medical experts, but all information should be regarded as helpful suggestions and not a formal medical diagnosis or advice.