'There is the classic misconception of the 'Hollywood heart attack,'' says Dr. To further complicate the issue, people often present 'atypically,' meaning that the symptoms they experience may be different than the textbook example. He and other doctors are able to make the right diagnosis by recognizing the combination of symptoms, as well as asking the right questions. Eric Lavonas, associate director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, says he becomes suspicious when he sees flu-like symptoms either in multiple family members or in patients without fever.

As a result, affected individuals can easily be misdiagnosed with a viral illness or food poisoning.ĭr. Individuals exposed to the gas often present with a staggering variety of seemingly vague symptoms, including headache, vomiting and abdominal pain. This thought process can be seen at play for those diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning.

When certain symptoms occur together, different diagnoses may pop to the top (or bottom) of the list of possibilities in your doctor's mind. They are doing this for a very specific reason. You may wonder why, when you tell your doctor about your screaming headache, he or she asks you about vomiting, fevers, your eyes, and your home heating system.

Sometimes, however, it is the combination of seemingly benign symptoms that is enough to raise red flags in doctors' minds. 'It is a tragedy to think that something could have been done in the meantime,' she says. She has had numerous patients who had symptoms and then went to bed or took a nap to literally try to 'sleep it off,' often with disastrous results, later waking up with irreversible neurologic damage. Wendy Wright, an intensive care neurologist at Emory University Hospital. 'TIA is a warning sign of impending stroke and should be taken seriously as an opportunity to stop a massive stroke in its tracks,' says Dr. They ultimately seek help when the same symptoms return and don't go away, he says.īut why wait? It turns out that there are a number of barriers to keep people from seeking medical attention when they need it most - such as concerns about missing prior obligations, high hospital bills, or inconveniencing others.įor example, strokes are often preceded by a TIAs, also known as a 'mini-stroke.' In these cases, people experience neurologic symptoms - such as weakness, difficulty speaking, blurry vision, or confusion - that resolve spontaneously. In many cases, these individuals had major symptoms which resolved. Richard O'Brien, spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, says he often sees patients who have put off their trip to the emergency room for hours or days, ignoring worrisome symptoms. Any doctor will tell you that, given the presence of certain concerning symptoms, 'watchful waiting' is never the right approach.ĭr. Yet it is often the minutes and hours before a patient decides to seek medical attention that play the largest role in the ultimate outcome. The reminder to young trainees is that time is of the essence the faster a diagnosis is made and treatment initiated, the less damage will have occurred. The phrase is repeated like a mantra in the halls and classrooms of medical schools and hospitals throughout the country.

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