Strokes are one of the most debilitating and dangerous health crises a person can experience. They are complex brain issues that occur when there is an interruption to the blood supply to the brain. Prompt medical care keeps people from experiencing major long-term medical problems.
If there is any time worse for a misdiagnosis, it is right at that moment.
Why do doctors misdiagnose strokes?
Strokes are a common enough medical problem that there are even popular pneumonic devices to remember them, such as BE FAST:
- Balance problems
- Eye problems
- Face drooping
- Arm weakness
- Speech difficulty
- Time to get help.
But the problem with these simple checks is that not every stroke presents the same way. Classic stroke symptoms can also mimic psychological crises, insulin shock, alcohol or drug problems and even other brain issues. This muddies the water for healthcare professionals. Still, a lack of clarity when time is short is no reason to ignore the possibility of a stroke.
Long-term problems for stroke misdiagnosis
If a stroke is untreated for long enough, the outcomes are dire. First, the potential for fatality is increased. Strokes are often called “brain attacks,” and just like with a heart attack, early treatment is life-saving treatment.
But even if a person survives a stroke without proper immediate treatment, their life willlikelye change irreversibly with:
- Potential loss of eyesight
- Early onset dementia
- Paralysis
- Intellectual losses
- Memory problems
A person who suffers a stroke has a long path to recovery, with perhaps years of rehabilitative work and care necessary. This care will be expensive.
You have every right to hold healthcare accountable.
A stroke is treatable. If you did everything right in getting your loved one to the hospital in time, you put your faith in your doctors, and they let you down. But with the right help, you can make sure this doesn’t happen to others.