Diagnosing Munchausen syndrome can be challenging for health professionals.
People with the syndrome are often very convincing and skilled at deceiving doctors.
Investigating claims
If a health professional suspects a person may have Munchausen syndrome, they will look at their health records. This is to check for inconsistencies between their claimed and actual medical history.
They may also do tests to check for evidence of:
- a self-inflicted illness (causing their own symptoms on purpose)
- tampering (interfering) with test results
For example, they might test a person's blood for traces of medicines they do not need. These may be causing the person's symptoms.
Doctors will also want to rule out other possible reasons for their behaviour, such as:
- faking illness for material gain
- wanting a prescription for strong painkillers
When a diagnosis is possible
Munchausen syndrome can usually be diagnosed if:
- there's clear evidence of symptoms
- the person's main motivation is to make other people think they are ill
- there's no other likely reason or explanation for their behaviour
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE