May: Asthma Awareness Month
Posted on Apr 30, 2012 7:30am PDT
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established May as "Asthma Awareness Month," hoping to spread information regarding one of the most common chronic diseases throughout the country. Why is asthma such a dangerous medical condition? Asthma can be considered to be a dangerous and deadly medical condition that affects millions of people nationwide. It is also a difficult condition for medical professionals to diagnose, especially for a doctor that fails to exhaust all of their options to ensure that a patient finds the right solution. This medical condition is one that affects the lungs of an individual. It can be shown through symptoms of wheezing, breathlessness, coughing, and tightness of the chest. A person who has asthma is likely to have some of these conditions throughout most of their life, although an asthma attack, or an occurrence of heightened symptoms, may occur only when something is bothering a person's lungs. There are warning signs for a person to know when an attack may be coming, and by talking to a medical professional to determine what these symptoms are is strongly suggested.
From information provided by the CDC, it is estimated that 255,000 people died from asthma worldwide in the year 2004. In the last reported year for the United States, 2007, there were 3,447 deaths caused due to asthma-related incidents. The study shows that deaths were higher among adults than children and among women than men. This study alone should stand as proof that asthma is a serious medical condition that should be treated with a serious attitude, especially by medical professionals. Unfortunately, individuals are misdiagnosed with asthma and other medical conditions, which can possibly cause irreversible harm.
While there is no known cure for asthma currently, there are precautions that a medical doctor and a patient can take to reduce the chances of an attack. Management of asthma can include avoiding activities and locations that you think may trigger an asthma attack, in addition to obtaining an inhaler and other medication from your doctor. If you believe that you have asthma, but your doctor has failed to diagnose you with this condition, be sure to take this action on your own. While a doctor should be responsible for diagnosing a patient with the correct medical condition, these mistakes occur out of negligence and there still may be action you can take to keep yourself safe from experiencing the trauma of an asthma attack. If you have already suffered from an asthma attack or you have lost a loved one due to an asthma attack after a doctor misdiagnosed the condition, however, do not wait another moment longer to speak with your local medical malpractice lawyer.
When a medical professional fails to exhaust all of the options in trying to find the medical condition that you may be suffering from, you have the right to hold this doctor accountable for their actions. If their actions were negligent, you may have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice settlement. Being aware of what the signs of asthma and other medical conditions are should be a priority to your doctor, and ensuring that everything is done to find a solution to your condition is urgent. Many lawyers across the country advocate for those who have suffered due to the wrongdoings of doctors, allergists and asthma specialists, and other medical professionals, and you may have a claim. Let your local medical malpractice attorney review the case that you may have to determine if you should pursue a settlement. If you have suffered due to the negligence and carelessness of a doctor or another medical professional, you should immediately pursue a medical malpractice claim to ensure that you obtain the highest quality of medical attention that you deserve.