If you or someone in your family is suffering from a neurological disorder, you’re probably gearing up for a visit to the neurologist. You definitely want to have a list of questions to ask a neurologist when you get there, in order to make the most informed decision about a plan for treatment and to get advice on what the next steps should be. Educating yourself about the type of disorder or illness you or your loved one might have is also important for understanding what course of treatments are being recommended and how you can help to the best of your ability. One common event that lands people in a neurologist’s office is having a stroke, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States. This is also a symptom of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for men and women and which kills around 600,000 people every year.
How Are Strokes and Heart Disease Linked?
One question in your list of questions to ask a neurologist may be, “How is a stroke and heart disease related?” Heart attacks and strokes are two different things and heart attacks may be more commonly associated with heart disease than strokes. (A heart attack is due to blood flow to the heart being blocked, usually because of a clot. A stroke is when a blood vessel or artery in the brain gets clogged or even bursts, which cuts off oxygen and blood flow.)
However, the same risk factors that are present for people who have heart attacks are also present for those at risk for strokes — high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, obesity, a history of smoking, and lack of regular physical activity.
Scarily enough, around 80 million Americans have some kind of heart disease and someone dies every 33 seconds from heart disease. It’s all the more tragic because there are ways to prevent heart disease, even if you have a family history of it. Yet people still don’t take the right measures to living a heart healthy life nor do they understand the importance of routine check ups. With about one in three people today in the United States being obese and the trend continuing among young children, it’s clear that our diet is not doing our cholesterol or blood pressure any favors. Especially when you consider the level of inactivity among Americans!
Why It’s Important to Have a List of Questions To Ask A Neurologist In Hand
If you need a neurologist, the chances are that you or your loved one is about to face an incredibly scary and difficult time in your lives. Making a list of focused, targeted questions can often help to calm you down and think proactively about preventative medicine or preventative measures you can take. It’ll also help you be more focused during your session with the neurologist. Instead of going in completely panicked and not remembering crucial questions you meant to answer, you’ll have them right in front of you and will be able to go down the list with your neurologist.
By getting the right information together and having a productive session, you’ll be able to find a doctor and a hospital that is the best for you or your loved one. Finding a doctor you can trust can also help make the process easier, especially if your loved one is facing a disease like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Having a list of questions to ask a neurologist may also let you take notes during your session, so you can remember instructions and specific comments better once you go home.
Although admitting that you or your loved one needs specialized care may be incredibly overwhelming and frightening, organizing your thoughts can really help break through some of the fear and amount of information presented to you. It’s also something that the rest of your family can take note of, if it turns out that there’s a family history of heart disease, or other neurological disorders. Don’t forget to be proactive during your session!