Why You Should Get a Second Opinion for Your Injuries

We live in a world where injuries happen, and anyone could get hurt at any time. When it does, we run to our doctors who we feel are more knowledgeable and skilled in diagnosing and treating our injuries correctly. But doctors are humans too. They make mistakes, overlook or miss out some details, or outrightly just end up giving a wrong diagnosis or recommend a treatment that doesn’t quite cut it. For life-threatening conditions like cancer, you practically don’t need anyone to tell you that seeking a second opinion about your diagnosis is quite important. But for less severe conditions you might simply want to pass it up as something minor and just take your doctors words for it. Well, you shouldn’t.

Here are some of the reasons why we think getting a second opinion is a sensible thing to do

Doctors do it too: yes, that’s right. Many doctors especially the good ones are wise enough to identify that their opinion is not final especially when they are dealing with something a little beyond their areas of expertise. Some doctors would consult with colleagues that they feel is more skilled to handle certain cases better, or direct you to someone else. They are simply saying “don’t just take my word for it, ask someone else.”

You need to be absolutely sure: so, your doctor has checked you out and even recommended some treatments. But you can still hear that nagging doubt in your mind that something is not right. Or probably you are yet to feel as relieved as ought to, even after starting the treatment. According to Khuram Dhanani, it took multiple doctors to diagnose his injury. And, the mere fact that you are not comfortable with your doctor’s opinion or even recommended treatment means something is wrong and even if the second doctor still ends up saying the same things as the first, at least you would be sure that you are being given the best available treatment and get your peace of mind.

Your doctor might be wrong: because it is your body, it is wise not to joke about it. Errors are allowed everywhere, but when it comes to your health, it is better to never leave anything to chance. Sometimes, it is possible that for one reason or the other your doctor missed out something in his initial examination. Or it could be the machine. Certain injuries don’t appear in the initial imaging result and might need you to check in a hospital with better facilities.

What do you have to lose: except some few extra dollars which you might even end up saving in the long run, what exactly are you losing by getting yourself rechecked just to be extra sure? Getting a second opinion might help salvage a situation that could have gotten worse or give you access to better diagnosis and treatment options.  No knowledge is ever wasted, by seeking out more information about your initial diagnosis you become a more knowledgeable healthcare consumer.

And if you are scared your doctor might get offended, you have nothing to worry about. A competent physician isn’t afraid to have his work checked by someone else especially if doing so will allay your fears and help you trust them better next time.