If you don’t already know, a stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency and an excellent reason to visit your local emergency room. A speedy diagnosis followed by emergency treatment could prevent the worst consequences or even save your life.
You depend on trained and educated medical personnel to recognize possible stroke symptoms and perform the proper diagnostic measures. Unfortunately, a careless physician could blame your symptoms on a different and perhaps less severe medical condition like those discussed below.
Migraines With Auras
More than a simple headache, a migraine with aura causes symptoms aside from severe pain. Some patients experience slurred speech, optical illusions (flashing lights, unusual shapes, etc.) and tingling or numbness in their extremities—three classic signs of a stroke.
Seizure Disorders
An emergency room doctor could attribute your stroke symptoms to a seizure disorder, even if you have never had a seizure. Like migraines, a seizure may cause many of the same signs as strokes, including tingling, weakness, speech problems and even paralysis.
Brain Tumors
Depending on where a brain tumor is, it can look much like stroke symptoms. Many tumor patients suffer from the classic stroke sign of weakness, tingling or numbness in their extremities. Like a stroke, a tumor may cause confusion and problems speaking and remembering.
Most doctors take steps to ensure they arrive at the proper diagnosis, but mistakes can still happen, especially in a hectic hospital emergency room.
Whether the doctor rushed carelessly through your exam or ignored diagnostic standards, you could obtain compensation for your harm under New Jersey medical malpractice laws.