Factitious disorder symptoms involve mimicking or producing illness or injury or exaggerating symptoms or impairment to deceive others. People with the disorder go to great lengths to hide their deception, so it may be difficult to realize that their symptoms are actually part of a serious mental health disorder. They continue with the deception, even without receiving any visible benefit or reward or when faced with objective evidence that doesn't support their claims. Factitious disorder signs and symptoms may include: Clever and convincing medical or psychological problems  Extensive knowledge of medical terms and diseases Vague or inconsistent symptoms Conditions that get worse for no apparent reason Conditions that don't respond as expected to standard therapies Seeking treatment from many different doctors or hospitals, which may include using a fake name Reluctance to allow doctors to talk to family or friends or to other health care professionals Frequent stays in the hospital Eagerness to have frequent testing or risky operations Many surgical scars or evidence of numerous procedures Having few visitors when hospitalized Arguing with doctors and staff  Factious disorder imposed on another Factitious disorder imposed on another (previously called Munchausen syndrome by proxy) is when someone falsely claims that another person has physical or psychological signs or symptoms of illness, or causes injury or disease in another person with the intention of deceiving others. People with this disorder present another person as sick, injured or having problems functioning, claiming that medical attention is needed. Usually this involves a parent harming a child. This form of abuse can put a child in serious danger of injury or unnecessary medical care. How those with factitious disorder fake illness Because people with factitious disorder become experts at faking symptoms and diseases or inflicting real injuries upon themselves, it may be hard for health care professionals and loved ones to know if illnesses are real or not. People with factitious disorder make up symptoms or cause illnesses in several ways, such as:  Exaggerating existing symptoms. Even when an actual medical or psychological condition exists, they may exaggerate symptoms to appear sicker or more impaired than is true. Making up histories. They may give loved ones, health care professionals or support groups a false medical history, such as claiming to have had cancer or AIDS. Or they may falsify medical records to indicate an illness. Faking symptoms. They may fake symptoms, such as stomach pain, seizures or passing out. Causing self-harm. They may make themselves sick, for example, by injecting themselves with bacteria, milk, gasoline or feces. They may injure, cut or burn themselves. They may take medications, such as blood thinners or drugs for diabetes, to mimic diseases. They may also interfere with wound healing, such as reopening or infecting cuts. Tampering. They may manipulate medical instruments to skew results, such as heating up thermometers. Or they may tamper with lab tests, such as contaminating their urine samples with blood or other substances. 
factitious disorder symptoms involve mimicking producing illness injury exaggerating symptoms impairment deceive others  people disorder great lengths hide deception  may difficult realize symptoms actually part mental health disorder  continue deception  receiving visible benefit reward faced objective evidence doesn't support claims  factitious disorder signs symptoms may include: clever convincing medical psychological problems  extensive knowledge medical terms diseases vague inconsistent symptoms conditions worse apparent reason conditions don't respond expected standard therapies seeking treatment doctors hospitals  may include using fake name reluctance allow doctors talk family friends health care professionals frequent stays hospital eagerness frequent testing risky operations surgical scars evidence numerous procedures visitors hospitalized arguing doctors staff  factious disorder imposed factitious disorder imposed (previously called munchausen syndrome proxy) falsely claims person physical psychological signs symptoms illness  causes injury disease person intention deceiving others  people disorder present person sick  injured problems functioning  claiming medical attention needed  involves parent harming child  form abuse can put child danger injury unnecessary medical care  factitious disorder fake illness people factitious disorder experts faking symptoms diseases inflicting real injuries themselves  may hard health care professionals loved ones know illnesses real not  people factitious disorder symptoms cause illnesses ways  as:  exaggerating existing symptoms  actual medical psychological condition exists  may exaggerate symptoms sicker impaired true  making histories  may give loved ones  health care professionals support groups false medical history  claiming cancer aids  may falsify medical records illness  faking symptoms  may fake symptoms  stomach pain  seizures passing out  causing self-harm  may sick  example  injecting bacteria  milk  gasoline feces  may injure  cut burn themselves  may take medications  blood thinners drugs diabetes  mimic diseases  may interfere wound healing  reopening infecting cuts  tampering  may manipulate medical instruments skew results  heating thermometers  may tamper lab tests  contaminating urine samples blood substances
factitious disorder