What disease do doctors overlook most often?

Most people do not think twice when they go to the doctor and come back with a clean bill of health. After all, doctors are one of the many figures in our lives that we grow up viewing as having some sort of authority.

But doctors are just as human as the rest of us, and this means they make human mistakes, too. Doctors can and do miss the signs of potentially risky ailments or illnesses, which can lead to misdiagnoses and delayed treatments that cause you great harm.

Why is this a problem?

CBS News takes a look at some of the diseases that doctors commonly overlook. Sometimes, these missed diseases or misdiagnoses end up being a huge detriment to your health. Prompt treatment is crucial for many issues, such as cancer, and having even a slight delay can put your life at risk. Other times, even if the delay is not life-threatening, it can still cost you a lot of money and make your life more difficult than it needs to be.

What are some commonly overlooked issues?

The most common diseases doctors overlook can range the spectrum here, and include:

• Migraines, which can make functioning in daily life difficult or impossible.
• Bipolar disorder, which is harder to identify in adults and often misdiagnosed in children.
• Sleep apnea, of which some reports claim only 10 percent of sufferers ever get a proper diagnosis for.
• Glaucoma, which gets worse over time, making misdiagnosis a very big issue.
• Oral cancer, which can manifest even in non-smokers, who often get overlooked.
• Celiac disease, which some doctors simply “do not think about”.
• Asthma, which goes overlooked in children.

Whether a doctor feels tired, overworked or simply made a mistake, this one mistake can impact your life and health for potentially years to come. So it is important to speak up if you feel something is amiss and always follow up on issues or seek second opinions.