Blog

Flu vs. Common Cold: When to Seek a Second Opinion

Knowing the difference between the flu and a common cold helps you make the right decisions when you or a loved one feels unwell. Both illnesses affect the respiratory system, but the flu can be much more serious. According to the CDC, flu can lead to dangerous complications, especially in older adults, young children, and people with chronic conditions.

Most flu cases are diagnosed based on symptoms, but Johns Hopkins Medicine warns that mild flu can easily be mistaken for a cold. On the other hand, severe flu symptoms might actually signal pneumonia or another serious condition. Misdiagnosis can delay the right treatment and increase health risks. Understanding when to seek medical attention – or even a second opinion – can make all the difference. In this blog, we’ll break down the key symptoms, the risks of misdiagnosis, and the signs that it’s time to see a doctor.

As we discussed in previous blogs, radiological second opinions are essential for ensuring accurate diagnoses and informing effective treatment plans. Radiologists often face challenges when interpreting complex imaging studies, where even small oversights can lead to misdiagnoses or delays in treatment. A second opinion can help catch these potential errors, providing reassurance to both patients and clinicians.

Radiology plays a critical role in modern medicine. From identifying early-stage disease to guiding complex surgeries, imaging can literally determine the next steps in patient care. However, as essential as imaging is, its ultimate efficacy depends on accurate interpretation. And radiological interpretations are not always definitive. Subtle findings can be easily overlooked, ambiguous results may lead to uncertainty. Even experienced radiologists can disagree. For patients, this means their care could rest on a diagnosis that may not be entirely accurate.

Unnecessary surgeries, sadly, happen.

Research indicates that a significant percentage of surgeries performed in the United States in recent years may have been unnecessary. By way of example:

• A 2023 analysis of Medicare claims found that atherectomies, a procedure to treat vascular disease, were performed on some 30,000 patients who had questionable need for them.
• The Lown Institute revealed that US hospitals performed over 229,000 unnecessary coronary stents from 2019-2021.
• Reported wrong site, wrong procedure, wrong patient, and wrong implant surgeries increased by 26% in 2023, according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN).

Back pain can be debilitating and it can occur at any age and at any time. At times, the pain is a direct result of a traumatic incident, like a car crash, a fall, or even pregnancy. Oftentimes, back pain starts without any perceivable correlating or causative event. You can suffer with back pain at a young age or it can start later in life. Research has shown that about 41% of adults with back pain are 18 to 44 years old¹.

No matter when or how back pain appears, it can severely impact your quality of life. Recent studies have shown that 8.2% of American adults have chronic severe back pain, and nearly 75% of those with chronic severe back pain have difficulties with mobility, social participation, self-care, or work participation². An estimated 75-85% of Americans experience some form of back pain during their life and 50% of patients who suffer from episodes of low back pain will have recurrent episodes within one year³.

Imaging techniques operated by skilled professionals has revolutionized the way we diagnose almost all major types of medical abnormalities and illnesses, from chronic conditions to neurological disorders to advanced cancers.

Computed tomography (CTs) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) are some of the most commonly used diagnostic imaging tools. Almost 80 million CT scans, and an additional 80 million MRI scans are performed in the United States annually¹.

1 in 8 women, or approximately 13% of the female population in the United States, will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2024, an estimated 310,720 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, as well as 56,500 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer¹.

Mammograms have long been the standard bearer for breast cancer screening, but breast MRIs are emerging as a vital tool because it offers a more detailed view of breast tissue.

Breast MRIs are particularly valuable for certain groups of women, like those with a high risk for breast cancer, those with a strong family history or genetic predisposition (like BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations), dense breast tissue, or those who previously hadf breast cancer. The American College of Radiology recommends women with 20% or greater lifetime risk of developing breast cancer be screened annually with MRI. In some situations, breast MRIs (magnetic field imaging) can help clarify mammogram results that might be inconclusive².

1 in 8 women, or approximately 13% of the female population in the United States, will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2024, an estimated 310,720 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, as well as 56,500 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer¹.

Chances are, you know at least one person who has been personally affected by breast cancer.

But there is hope. Approximately 66% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, before cancer has spread outside of the breast, when it is easiest to treat. Today, there are currently more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States².

According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localized stage, the 5 year relative survival rate is 99%. Early detection includes monthly breast self-exams and annual mammograms.

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the past 30 years, the absolute numbers of deaths and the number of people with neurological-related diseases have risen substantially¹.

If you have been referred to a neurologist, it’s because you have demostrated sympoms that point to a disorder of the nervous system.

We tend to assume that neurology only relates to the brain. Yet neurologists diagnose and treat a wide range of neurological conditions that have their origins in the brain or the spinal cord.

If you are skeptical of a second opinion rendered by AI technology, consider it’s another tool in the toolbox of the radiologist during the diagnostic evaluation of the exam.

Think of an AI rendered second opinion as indicating and measuring findings for the radiologist to pay attention, a kind of another pair of glasses for the radiologist, not as a replacement for it.