Medically unexplained symptoms

Stigma and misinformation can also extend into medical practice, where many depressed patients present with medically unexplained symptoms. Somatization is the term used for such use of physical symptoms to express emotional distress, which may be a major reason for misdiagnosis of mental illness by medical and psycho-... 

Psychogenic attacks are usually situational, for instance occurring in open spaces. Suggestive features include age less than 50 years, lack of vascular risk factors, symptoms affecting the non-dominant side (Rothwell 1994), hyperventilation, other medically unexplained symptoms or non-organic motor or sensory signs. 

After a biological, chemical or radiological attack, patients may present with a variety of mental health responses, including distress responses, behavioral changes, psychosomatic symptoms, including medically unexplained symptoms, psychological symptoms and psychiatric illness, such as PTSD (20). Categories of common mental health responses include (20,21) ... 

Medically Unexplained Symptoms/ Functional symptoms or syndromes Umbrella terms for unexplained symptoms Globus hystericus Fibrontyalgia Chronic fatigue syndrome Repetitive strain injury... 

Get medical advice quickly if you or any of your fellow workers have unusual or unexplained symptoms starting at work or later the same day. Do not let yourself or anyone else get dangerously sick before calling your physician or going to a hospital. It is better to be too cautious than too late. Take the pesticide container (or the labeling) to the physician. Do not carry the pesticide container in the passenger space of a car or truck. 

Patients with multiple unexplained symptoms, all of them reported in the narratives of Gulf veterans, are also encountered in civilian medical practice and literature. In the popular literature, first-person accounts and patient-orientated... 

Zavestoski SB, McCormick S, Mayer B et al. (2004). Patient activism and the struggle for diagnosis Gulf War illnesses and other medically unexplained physical symptoms in the US. Soc Sci Med, 58, 161-175. 

When a worker examination reveals unexplained symptoms or signs (i.e. in the physical examination or in the laboratory tests), follow-up medical examinations are necessary to assure that MC exposure is not adversely affecting the worker s health. When the examining physician or other licensed health care professional finds it necessary, additional tests should be included to determine the nature of the medical problem and the underlying cause. Where relevant, the worker should be sent to a specialist for further testing and treatment as deemed necessary. 

Katon W (1996). Panic disorder relationship to high medical utilization, unexplained physical symptoms, and medical costs. J Clin Psychiatry 57 (suppl. 10), 11-18. 

Hepatotoxicity (abnormal liver function test results, jaundice, hepatitis), hemolytic anemia, unexplained fever, and flu-like symptoms may occur. If these conditions appear, discontinue the medication and contact the physician. 

AW should be told the dose and frequency of his new medication and the need to store it safely should be emphasised. The importance of regular blood tests should be explained and AW should also be made aware of symptoms that may indicate neutropenia such as unexplained fever, chills or sore throat and should be advised to report to his doctor immediately if this occurs. AW should also be informed that both males and females must stop taking hydroxycarbamide for six months before a planned pregnancy. 

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