Healthcare providers misdiagnosing STROKES?

If there’s one thing that’ll will scare the Bejesus out of any senior…

It’s a STROKE.

Because once it happens, time is of the absolute essence to prevent irreversible damage.

But what if I told you that, despite your best efforts to be keen to the warning signs…

Countless healthcare providers could actually be misdiagnosing strokes?

Sadly, it’s true… and it’s part of a larger study highlighting the scary outcomes of strokes that I’ll discuss shortly.

But I’ve also got some steps to help prevent a grave misdiagnosis.

A report published by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that nearly 6% of the estimated 130 million people who go to emergency rooms every year are misdiagnosed.

In layman’s terms… that’s about 1 in 18 patients getting the wrong diagnosis.

And at the top of that list is STROKE – which was missed in 17 % of cases.

That’s pretty terrifying data.

Now, it’s not entirely about doctors “missing” a stroke. According to the report, many misdiagnosed stroke cases boiled down too many patients reporting symptoms that aren’t always linked to stroke (at least initially).

The study found that many reported symptoms of dizziness and vertigo. 40% of those with these two symptoms had their stroke MISSED when they first entered the ER.

That’s as far as I’ll go with this published report. Frankly, I don’t see this a kneejerk reaction to conclude that the majority of hospitals and ERs are simply not doing their job… because they do save countless lives each day.

However, it does show that strokes CAN be missed, even by seasoned professionals. Which is why it’s even more crucial to take ANY warning sign (big or small) seriously.

So if you find yourself even with a “mild” symptom, be sure to be abundantly clear about your stroke concerns when arriving at the hospital.

Another thing you can do to reduce your stroke risk is to fuel your gut health – aka your “other” brain.

I’ve talked before about how the bacteria in your gut can directly influence the risk factors of stroke… and even influence how SEVERE a stroke is.

You can read more about the data here.

In the meantime, talk to your doctor about the tell-tale signs of stroke, and have a plan with your spouse on how to quickly act if any are noticed.

To taking stroke seriously,

Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Kounang, Nadia. “More than 7 million incorrect diagnoses made in US emergency rooms every year, government report finds.” https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/health/hospital-misdiagnoses-study/index.html