When you go to the doctor, you expect to tell him or her your symptoms and get an accurate diagnosis right away. Unfortunately, this rarely happens.

In reality, doctors often don’t know what you have just by looking at your symptoms. They could apply to a lot of different things. Doctors will work backward, eliminating things until they think they have reached a solution.

For example, the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) aren’t so consistent that doctors know what you have right away. They can include constipation and/or diarrhea. You may think those are opposites, but they could both point to the same issue.

Or consider celiac disease. It is supposed to lead to digestive issues, which can include weight loss and diarrhea. However, experts point out that only about 50 percent of those suffering from it actually see those symptoms at all.

Other symptoms they may encounter include heartburn, acid reflux, headaches, itchy skin and joint pain. When is the last time that you had joint pain and wondered if it was related to what you had for lunch?

As you can see, medical sciences aren’t always as precise as they appear to be on television. Doctors are looking at a wide variety of symptoms that aren’t the same for every patient. This can lead to a lot of mistakes and a misdiagnosis may not be as unlikely as you assumed.

That said, some doctors make the wrong diagnosis through negligence. If you did not receive the high level of medical care that you deserve, you must know about your legal rights to compensation, especially as your condition worsens and the medical bills mount.