WHY WOMEN ARE MISDIAGNOSED AT HIGHER RATES THAN MEN.
I wanted to do a blog about women’s health history and how the female holistic community is trying to change the game.
I’ll just start saying women are drastically more likely to be misdiagnosed, even with life threatening events, than men. Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed when having a heart attack, and 33% more likely to be misdiagnosed following a stroke. Let that sink in for a minute… those are two life or death situations and women are often sent home due to misdiagnosis instead of getting the care they need.
Those incredibly high numbers are nothing to play with, and it unfortunately doesn’t stop there. In my office I have seen patients with all sorts of chronic diseases, especially autoimmune, who have been searching for years for a diagnosis and solution. Most of these women are told to try deep breathing or yoga because it’s probably doe to being a “stressed-out-mom”.
Luckily, holistic practicioners are trying to change the game and bring these women relief and solutions.
So, this misdiagnosis pattern goes way back… like all the way back to Hippocrates.
When it comes to pain, our male counterparts aren’t so easily dismissed (despite females generally having a higher pain tolerance than males). This brushing off that women receive goes back further than you would think. For centuries (yes that long), women have been misdiagnosed at higher rates than men in the medical community, and it goes all the way back to the 5th century with Hippocrates.
Hippocrates hypothesized that the cause of illness in women came from the uterus, and the Greek word for uterus is hystera. When women were struggling with illness or something that the medical community couldn’t figure out at that time (which was a lot), they were told they were being hysteric, or that they had hysteria. It was in this way that medical professionals started to dismiss issues they were unsure of - by blaming the female anatomy.
And don’t even get me started on the fact that they believed “women are vulnerable to mental disorders, weak, and easily influenced by the supernatural or by organic degeneration, and she is somehow guilty whether that’s through sinning or not procreating, etc.” - not my words.
This seems outdated, right? Of course, but our current rates of misdiagnosis in women show that we still have this deep rooted notion of hysteria in our medical society today.
Another factor to consider is that 75% medical research today is done on males alone. This means that a most medications or products haven’t been accurately tested on a woman’s system. We are certain there are massive differeences between a male a women’s system, yet we continue to prioritize male health over female health and diagnosis.
What can we do about it?
It is not an uncommon finding to see holistic practitioners and advocates that were initially women the medical system failed; a young woman struggling with excruciating headaches that were written off as “hormonal”, a new mother battling postpartum depression who was assured they just needed to get used to having a newborn, a health conscious and active year 65 old who suddenly can’t get out of bed because of untreated autoimmune problems who’s told they’re just getting older.
These are stories we hear in the holistic community everyday. We have to do better for our women and thankfully the tide is turning. This is because of the women and men who entered the holistic space so they could save another person from going through what they, or one of their loved ones, went through. Together, we will fight for you as much as we can, but ultimately your wellness starts with you. It starts with you believing in yourself and your body’s ability to heal from the inside out.
Holistic chiropractic care for autoimmune disease is a great place to start and is one huge way you can take charge of your diagnosis (which does not define you)!
Women- listen to your bodies! You innately aware of yourself and your body than any doctor, researcher, or pharmacist. If you’re feeling like something is off, then it might be. Do not hesitate to stand up for yourself by asking questions or getting a second opinion. Doing just that could be the difference between chronic illness, depression, disease, or worse and having healthy, active years ahead of you.
