3 Medical Conditions Under-diagnosed in Women You Need to Know About
Women are under-diagnosed for many reasons. Unfortunately, women struggle with parochial views that are still prevalent in some situations, such as being viewed as weak, overemotional, or unstable.
Gender shouldn’t be a factor in diagnosis, but the symptoms of men and women differ in some diseases. This causes some conditions to be misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed in the female gender. Let’s explore some conditions that you might want to keep an eye out for.
1. Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is often under-diagnosed in women because the symptoms can vary from person to person and between men and women. Many people don’t experience any symptoms of CHD until they have a heart attack or experience chest pain.
Men generally experience angina pain during physical activity. However, women often experience chest pain when resting or doing typical daily activities like running errands or chores. Mental stress can cause angina pain that often feels like pressure in the chest, neck, or throat. Other symptoms to watch for are vomiting, nausea, reduced energy, fatigue, shortness of breath, and abdominal pain.
Of women aged 40 to 60, around 80% have risk factors for CHD, which contributes to it being the leading cause of death for women. Women have a higher chance of contracting other conditions like endometriosis, anaemia, early menopause, and others that can increase the risk of getting CHD. Hormonal changes and the size and structure of women’s hearts can affect women’s risk for CHD.
2. Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins in the brain, often from birth. Due to its varying symptoms, doctors often misdiagnose ASD.
This condition has inconclusive risk factors and potential causes. ASD often co-occurs with other disorders. Doctors have begun testing children as early as 12 to 18 months to see if they fall on the spectrum so treatment can begin. The earlier this disorder is detected, the better, so children can start learning to cope and develop at a better rate.
Autistic females differ from autistic males in many ways, such as women being more likely to play pretend than males who fall on the spectrum. Autistic females typically don’t show the same repetitive behaviours that autistic males do, either. Females are more likely to display symptoms such as twirling their hair or picking their skin while males commonly flap their hands or rock back and forth.
Women with ASD experience social difficulties like trouble looking people in the eyes and difficulty responding to social cues. Women are more likely to face challenges regulating their emotions. They are also likely to have a heightened sense of awareness with light, touch, smells, and sound. The diagnosis of ASD is evolving and doctors are doing what they can to understand the disorder further and bridge the gender-bias gap that is both outdated and stereotypical.
Identifying anyone on the spectrum is a complex process, but women in particular have difficulty being diagnosed. Don’t be afraid to discuss symptoms with your doctor or research them further.
3. Endometriosis
Endometriosis is often under-diagnosed due to its incurable nature and other factors. Women commonly have pain during their period, so it can be challenging to measure someone’s pain levels and cause without testing.
Many women have endometriosis from a young age. This condition occurs when tissue that lines the uterus grows in other parts of your body, like your ovaries, urethra, fallopian tubes, or other organs. Symptoms can vary for endometriosis, but women commonly report pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, spotting, fatigue, migraines and pain during sex.
Some other signs to watch for are pain during urination or bowel movements, especially during your period, and bleeding between periods. Diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, and nausea are common symptoms of endometriosis that mimic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but IBS can accompany endometriosis, making diagnosis even more challenging.
To diagnose this condition, doctors have to perform a laparoscopy – a minor surgery involving inserting a small camera into your abdomen. The tissue growth requires surgery to be removed and possibly hormonal therapy.
Under-diagnosed Medical Conditions
You can’t control doctors and how they diagnose, but you can research your symptoms and be aware of under-diagnosis statistics before you visit your physician. Empower other women to do the same by raising awareness to remove the stigma surrounding women’s health – both mental and physical. Celebrate the success stories of other women and foster a supportive environment for all women.
_
Mia Barnes is a health and wellness writer and the Editor In Chief at Body+Mind. She especially enjoys writing about mental health, physical well-being, mindfulness, and healthy living. When she's not writing, you can find Mia reading romance novels, jogging, and trying new recipes!
