Hypochondria

Introduction Suspected illness, also known as suspected neurosis, is currently classified as a somatoform disorder, mainly in which the patient is worried or believes that he or she has one or more serious physical illnesses, the patient complains of physical symptoms, and repeatedly seeks medical attention, although it is negative after repeated medical examinations. And the doctor's medical explanation without the corresponding disease can not dispel the patient's concerns, often accompanied by anxiety or depression. The disease is mostly caused before the age of 50, which is a chronic fluctuation course, which can occur for both men and women.

Cause

Personality foundation

Solitary, stubborn, introverted, over-focused, sensitive, self-centered, narcissistic, narrow-minded, timid, fragile, suggestive personality traits can be the basis of the personality of the suspected illness.

2. Social environmental factors

Knowing that your relatives or friends have died of a serious illness, you will suspect that you are following in the footsteps. When you see someone else with liver cancer, you will feel the liver area is not feeling well. Inappropriate speech by doctors, excessive medical instrument examinations, unnecessary over-treatment, unnecessary surgery, etc. may promote the concept of suspected illness.

3. Physical factors

People who are in adolescence or menopause are prone to some changes in somatosensory and autonomic nervous instability, such as palpitations, hot flashes, development of the reproductive organs or atrophy. Unreasonable cognition of such physiological phenomena can lead to suspected diseases. The generation of ideas.

4. Psychological factors

Some people think that the disease is caused by perception and cognitive abnormalities. The patient's cognitive system can make inappropriate interpretations of some body sensations and changes, leading to a concept of suspicion.

an examination

Examination and diagnosis of suspected illness

The diagnostic criteria are as follows:

1. Meet the diagnostic criteria for neurosis.

2. Taking the suspected symptoms as the main clinical image, showing at least one of the following:

(1) Worried about physical health or illness, the serious procedure is not commensurate with the actual health.

(2) A suspected explanation for the physiological phenomena and abnormal feelings that usually occur.

(3) A strong concept of suspected illness, lacking sufficient evidence, but not delusion.

3. Repeated medical treatment or repeated medical examinations, but the negative results of the examination or the doctor's reasonable explanation can not dispel concerns.

4. Exclusion of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, paranoid psychosis and other diagnoses, suspected symptoms are not limited to panic attacks.

Differential diagnosis

Organic disease

Some systemic diseases include multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and thyroid disease. Therefore, a comprehensive examination is required to rule out the relevant physical illness before diagnosing the suspected condition.

2. Depression

Most often accompanied by suspected symptoms, patients with major depression often have some biological symptoms, such as early awakening, morning and night light circadian rhythm changes, weight loss and mental retardation, self-crime and other symptoms can be identified . Occult depression should pay special attention to distinguishing from suspected symptoms. Occult depression masks the essence of depression with physical symptoms, but often it can often achieve significant curative effect after antidepressant treatment, while the suspected condition is more difficult.

3. Somatization disorders

The focus of patients with suspected illness is the obstacle itself and its future consequences, and its preoccupation concept involves only one or two physical illnesses. Patients with somatization disorders are more concerned with specific symptoms of physical discomfort, and their complaints often change, involving more systems.

4. Anxiety and panic disorder

Physical symptoms during anxiety are sometimes interpreted by patients as signs of serious physical illness, but patients with these disorders are usually able to receive medical explanations from the doctor and feel at ease, and are not convinced that they have a physical illness.

5. Schizophrenia

There are symptoms of suspected disease in the early stage, but the content is mostly bizarre, not fixed, often with thinking disorder and sensory disturbance. The patient is not actively seeking treatment and can be identified.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.