Weird things happen to your body as you age. Things start to not work as well as they should be. It can be hard to tell what’s happening in your body. Conditions start to blend together. Here are 5 common misdiagnosed conditions in adults.

5 Misdiagnosed Conditions in Adults

 

Some of these conditions may sound familiar, but they can present themselves differently depending on your age. Also, they can get confused for each other because their symptoms can be very similar. These are often misdiagnosed or overlooked in people 50 and older.

1. Urinary Tract Infection

Symptoms of this condition share many symptoms of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. These include confusion, agitation, and withdrawal. UTIs can make symptoms like confusion and irritability worse in people who already have dementia.

Women are more likely to get this, though it is possible for men to develop this.

2. Delirium

Delirium is commonly mistaken for dementia, though delirium is caused by some sickness or condition. Certain drugs, like benzodiazepines and older antidepressants, can increase confusion and reduce cognition. Hormonal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, anemia, infections, alcoholism, and atherosclerosis are just a handful of conditions that can cause delirium.

3. Essential Tremor

There are different reasons for shakiness besides Parkinson’s disease. High potassium levels and certain medications can cause it. Essential tremor is another common cause of shaking in older people. They affect both sides of the body and the same body parts at the same time.

This also tends to be a genetic condition.

It’s not a dangerous condition, but it will get worse as time goes by.

4. Dehydration

Dehydration may be easy to treat, but it can be dangerous when left untreated. This is very common among older people because the brain doesn’t send signals to your body. This means you don’t notice that you’re thirsty as often.

Other than thirst, other signs include dry skin and long periods of time without urinating. It can aggravate other conditions like blood pressure, rapid breathing, and sunken eyes. It can also cause confusion and irritability.

5. Fibromyalgia

Statistics show that nearly 50% of people 65 and older have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. Many symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are similar to fibromyalgia and lupus. They cause pain, stiffness, and aching in the same way.

People with fibromyalgia don’t usually have swelling like with rheumatoid arthritis, nor do they affect the same joints.

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