A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood directly to your brain is either blocked by a blood clot or ruptures. This results in the affected part of the brain becoming suddenly deprived of oxygen and nutrients, so the brain cells begin to die.
If you’ve had a stroke, you have likely received medical care at a hospital. You will then need to have continued care by a doctor, in an oversight capacity, to help you avoid having other strokes in the future. A family medicine physician is an excellent choice to be this resource for you.
A family physician is a type of primary care physician who can provide long-term care over the years following a stroke. Let’s talk about some of the key ways in which a family doctor can help you after having a stroke, and where you can go in Fort Worth for outstanding medical care.
A Family Medicine Physician Will Check for Complications of Stroke
It’s common to experience lingering complications after having a stroke. You may have one or more of the following complications and reactions:
- Anxiety
- Bone fracture
- Cognitive impairment
- Depression
- Falling
- Fatigue
- Shoulder pain
- Pressure ulcers (due to sitting or lying in one spot for too long, without shifting)
- Seizure
- Spasticity
- Thromboembolism (blood clot)
Family physicians can screen for these complications and provide treatment for them. This will help you to reduce future hospital readmissions.
The family medicine physician will also check for any unmet needs by asking you certain questions. For example, if you have become functionally impaired in any way after the stroke, your family doctor will identify any unmet needs and refer you to the services that will fulfill these needs. You may need to have occupational therapy to help you restore some or all of your hand function, or speech therapy to help you restore proper speaking ability as much as possible.
Family Medicine Physicians Can Help You Control Future Stroke Risk Factors
Your family physician will ask about your stroke and help you eliminate future incidents. They will provide treatment for the most prevalent risk factors for stroke, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), carotid stenosis, atrial fibrillation (A-fib), and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol). When the risk factor is addressed, your risk of reoccurrence of stroke is greatly reduced.
The Doctor Will Implement a Treatment Plan to Address Stroke Symptoms
In collaboration with your other healthcare providers, your family medicine physician will develop a plan which will be based on the specific problems you have experienced. These will tackle issues such as shoulder pain, blood pressure, obesity, and more.
However, if there is a neurological issue, it will be prioritized – and other problems will be addressed later. Your family physician will also help you set realistic goals to avoid clinical depression and anxiety.
Family Medicine Physician in Fort Worth, TX
If you’ve had a stroke – including a mild stroke, or TIA – and you need long-term observational medical care, consider our board-certified and compassionate doctors at Texas Medical Institute. Our family medicine physicians will be your health partners at every stage of life, helping you to enjoy an excellent quality of life after having a stroke.
Please contact us at (817) 615-8633 if you have any questions about our family medicine physicians, or you would like to schedule an appointment, or fill out our online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!
