When it comes to health, men and women are not the same. That might seem like an obvious statement, but a lot of the medical studies done throughout the years, on both diseases and on medications, have been done primarily on men with the results being applied to both men and women.
In fact, women are generally under-represented in medical research, accounting for less than a third of all subjects in heart disease studies, according to Prevention.com.
This can lead to confusion amongst women about symptoms and potential misdiagnoses by doctors.1
For example…
Heart disease, and heart attacks, in particular, are often misdiagnosed by doctors when it comes to women, and women are less likely to attribute their symptoms to a heart attack. Why? The answer is that heart disease and heart attacks can present differently for men and women. Yet most of the information circulated to patients and to the general population, tend to be based on studies involving primarily men.
Many of us know the symptoms of a heart attack, such as:2
- Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching
- Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly
- Cold sweat
- Fatigue
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Light-headedness or sudden dizziness
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
But did you know that these are primarily the symptoms that men experience? For women, a heart attack is more likely to present with:3
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Upper back or neck pain
- Indigestion, heartburn, nausea, or vomiting
- Sudden, extreme fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath
- Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations)
- Swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, or abdomen
- Sleep disturbances4
While some of the symptoms are the same, many are different and that can lead to a misdiagnosis for many women. In fact, as many as 57% of women have reported being wrongly diagnosed by a doctor.5
What can you do (as a woman)?
- Educate yourself
- Do your own research
- Come with a list of questions for your doctor and don’t leave until they are answered.
- Get a second (or third) opinion, and/or ask to be referred to a specialist.
- Don’t be afraid to bring up everything that is bothering you. Write down all your symptoms in a log or journal and show it to your physician.
- If you disagree with your doctor, say so. Don’t feel or be pressured into making a decision that doesn’t feel right to you.
We are all responsible for our own health, with the help of our doctor, of course! As a woman, it is particularly important to be in tune with your body and to understand that your symptoms may differ from those that are commonly understood for many diseases and healthcare concerns.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or local emergency medical services.
References
- Megan Liscomb, "This Doctor's PSAs About The Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Health Conditions In Women Should Be Mandatory Reading," Buzzfeed, October 26, 2023, https://www.buzzfeed.com/meganeliscomb/commonly-misdiagnosed-conditions-in-women.
- Meredith Clark, "From strokes to heart attacks: Doctor highlights most commonly misdiagnosed health conditions in women," Independent, October 31, 2023, https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/misdiagnosed-conditions-symptoms-women-b2436662.html.
- "Heart attack," Mayo Clinic, October 9, 2023, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106.
- "About Women and Heart Disease," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 15, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/women-and-heart-disease.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm#.
- Kiera Carter, "The Frustrating Reasons Why Doctors Constantly Misdiagnose Women," Prevention, December 21, 2021, https://www.prevention.com/health/a26100121/misdiagnosed-women/.
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