Failure To Diagnose A Stroke: Why Does It Happen?

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds. It’s a preventable and treatable condition, but why does failure to diagnose stroke happen so frequently?

The risk factors for stroke are numerous and sometimes go unnoticed by health care providers. In an emergency room setting, a patient may present with a variety of symptoms from stroke that could be mistaken for other ailments. These symptoms may include confusion, slurred speech, loss of consciousness, vision problems, paralysis on one side of the body, or numbness on one side of the body.

It’s important that your health care provider know about these symptoms and take them seriously if they occur. If you are a victim of improper stroke diagnosis, it’s important to seek a stroke misdiagnose lawyer right away. You could be entitled to compensation, which can help you pay for medical expenses and pain and suffering, among other things.

Here at the Doctor Lawyer Firm, we are committed to helping our clients become whole again. We will fight for you to ensure that your voice is heard and that you are treated fairly. We understand that taking on the medical establishment sounds intimidating. Our goal is to give you the peace of mind that your misdiagnosis is handled by medical and legal experts.

Why Do Doctors Fail to Diagnose Stroke?

If you are experiencing symptoms of stroke, it’s important that your doctor knows about it. Failure to diagnose stroke happens because there are many risk factors for stroke that can be mistaken for other ailments. Doctors may think a patient has a migraine headache, vertigo, or depression when they have actually experienced a stroke. 

For example, if someone has slurred speech or difficulty understanding what others are saying, this could be a sign of impaired blood flow to the brain. These symptoms can also occur due to an allergy or influenza virus. However, if the symptoms persist over time and worsen, it may be because of something more serious like a stroke. There are many risk factors for stroke, including high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, smoking cigarettes, oral contraceptives, and atrial fibrillation.

What Steps Can You Take To Prevent Stroke?

The steps you can take to prevent stroke are numerous. The best way to avoid stroke is to control your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high, you need to make sure you take your medication and work with your doctor to get it under control. High blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors for stroke.

• Work with your health care provider
• Take steps to control high blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Prevent diabetes
• Avoid smoking and drinking excessively
• Learn about the warning signs of stroke
• Eat a healthy diet and stay active physically

If you don’t know where to begin in combating stroke, speak with your doctor about starting a regimen that targets areas that could pose a risk in your life and work to improve them.

It’s important that you know your risk factors for stroke. If you have any of these risk factors- high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking, or a family history of stroke- there is an increased chance that you will suffer from it in the future.

If you find out that you do have high risk factors for stroke, don’t panic. Instead, try to take steps to reduce your risks by stopping smoking if you smoke, taking your medication regularly if it’s prescribed to you, and monitoring your diet. Some other things that can help lower your risk include maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.

Moreover, the most important thing to remember is that time is of the essence. Stroke symptoms can progress quickly, so it’s vital to seek help right away. If you or someone you know have these symptoms, call 911 immediately. 

It’s also important to have a stroke kit nearby at home with medication for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions that may lead to stroke. The kit should also include aspirin or other medications that people with clotting disorders may need for their condition.

Strokes can be prevented and treated by diagnosing them early on before they become more serious. It’s important to know the signs and risk factors for stroke so you can take action quickly if necessary. Sticking with healthy habits like avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy weight will reduce your risk of stroke as well as many other chronic diseases.

Do You Need an Experienced Stroke Misdiagnose Lawyer?

Doctor Sowell and Doctor Chakour have extensive experience in the legal and medical fields and can assist you with your misdiagnosis. Don’t delay if you suffered a stroke and were inaccurately diagnosed with another condition. 

At the Doctor Lawyer Firm , we are happy to assist you, so schedule a consultation with us today to discuss your needs. To get in touch with us, simply complete our contact form or call 1-833-MedMals.

The information in this blog post is for reference only and not legal advice. As such, you should not decide whether to contact a lawyer based on the information in this blog post. Moreover, there is no lawyer-client relationship resulting from this blog post, nor should any such relationship be implied. If you need legal counsel, please consult a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction.