Wellness Exchange: Health Discussions
Hidden Health Crisis: Women's Conditions Doctors Often Overlook
(upbeat music) - Welcome to Listen2. This is Ted. The news was published on Wednesday, September 25th. Joining us today are Eric and Kate. We're diving into a hot topic in healthcare. The misdiagnosis and dismissal of women's health concerns. Recent stats show 84% of women feel doctors don't listen to them, and 57% think they've gotten the wrong diagnosis. What's your take on these eye opening numbers? - Well, Ted, those numbers are certainly troubling, but we gotta remember that diagnosing medical conditions isn't always a walk in the park. Symptoms can overlap and mimic other issues, making it tricky for docs to nail down the right diagnosis right off the bat. It's not necessarily about ignoring women. It's more about the complexities of human biology. - Oh, come on, Eric, that's such a cop out. These stats aren't just troubling. - Hold your horses, Kate. We can't just jump to conclusions about bias here. There could be. - But that's exactly the problem, Eric. The entire healthcare system was built by men, for men. We've got decades of research focused on male bodies while women's health has been-- - All right, let's take a breath here. You both raise interesting points. Let's dig a little deeper into some specific conditions. The article highlights heart disease as a major issue for women. Can you elaborate on that? - Sure thing, Ted, heart disease is actually the biggest killer of women in the UK, which might surprise some folks. There's this outdated notion that it's a male disease and that misconception really needs to change. We're talking about a serious health threat that's flying under the radar for many women. - Absolutely, and the numbers are staggering. Women are 50% more likely to get the wrong initial diagnosis for heart disease and get this, 70% more likely to die within a month of a heart attack. It's not just shocking, it's downright criminal. - Those numbers are definitely concerning, Kate, I'll give you that, but we should also consider that heart disease can present differently in women. The symptoms aren't always the classic chest pain we associate with heart attacks in men that can make diagnosis trickier. - That's no excuse, Eric. Medical professionals should be trained to recognize these differences. We're not talking about some obscure condition here. It's the number one killer of women. - You both make compelling arguments. Let's shift gears a bit. The article mentions other conditions too, like brain tumors. What can you tell us about that? - Well, according to the brain tumor charity, there's a pretty significant gap in diagnosis times between men and women. About 30% of women wait over a year for a diagnosis compared to just 15% of men. That's a big difference, and it's definitely something we need to look into. It's not just a difference. It's blatant discrimination. Women's symptoms are constantly being brushed off as anxiety or attention-seeking behavior. This isn't just about waiting times. It's about a systemic bias that's literally killing us. How many women have to die before we take this seriously? - Now, hold on a second. We need to be careful about jumping to conclusions here. Brain tumor symptoms can mimic a lot of other conditions. - But women have to see doctors multiple times before they're taken seriously. - That's not just about complexity, Eric. It's about deep-rooted sectors. - This discussion is certainly highlighting the complexities of the issue. Let's put this in a historical context. Can either of you think of a similar situation from the past where women's health concerns were overlooked or misunderstood? - Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the history of hysteria diagnosis. For centuries, women's physical and mental health issues were often lumped together under this catch-all term. Doctors would attribute all sorts of symptoms to a wandering womb or hysteria. It's a pretty stark example of how medical understanding can be clouded by gender biases. - Exactly. And let's not pretend this is ancient history. The American Psychiatric Association only removed hysteria from its diagnostic manual in 1980. That's within many of our lifetimes. It just goes to show how deeply ingrained gender bias is in medicine. We're still dealing with the fallout from centuries of this kind of thinking. - While that's true, Kate, we've made some huge strides since then. Modern medicine is much more evidence-based and less prone to those kinds of blatant misdiagnoses. We're constantly improving our understanding of how diseases affect different genders. - Have we really progressed that much, Eric? The article we're discussing shows we're still dismissing women's symptoms as anxiety or funny turns. It's just hysteria by another. That's an interesting parallel you've both drawn. How do you think the historical hysteria diagnosis relates to current issues in women's health diagnoses? - Well, the hysteria diagnosis was essentially a catch-all for any unexplained symptoms in women. Today, we're definitely more specific in our diagnoses, but there's still a tendency to attribute women's symptoms to stress or anxiety when they're not immediately explainable. It's a lingering effect of that old mindset. It's way worse than that, Eric. The hysteria diagnosis wasn't just a medical mistake. It was a tool used to control women. And today's misdiagnoses are doing the same thing, whether intentionally or not. They're keeping women from getting proper treatment and living full healthy lives. It's medical gaslighting on a massive scale. - Now, that's quite an exaggeration, Kate. Modern medicine isn't some conspiracy to control women. It's just grappling with the complexities of diagnosis across different genders. We're trying to-- - It's not an exaggeration when women are literally dying from heart attacks because doctors dismiss their symptoms as anxiety. The control might be unintentional. - You've both raised some thought-provoking points about the past and present. Let's look to the future. How do you think this situation will unfold? What changes do you foresee in the medical field regarding women's health? - I'm actually pretty optimistic, Ted. I believe we'll see a big uptick in gender-specific research and training for medical professionals. This will lead to a much better understanding of how diseases present in women and improve diagnosis rates. We're already seeing more attention being paid to these issues, and I think that trend will continue. - That's not nearly enough, Eric. We need a complete overhaul of the medical system from top to bottom. Women should be equally represented in all aspects of health care, from research to practice to leadership. Anything less is just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. - A complete overhaul might be too disruptive, Kate. We can make significant improvements through gradual changes and increased awareness without upending the entire system. Evolution, not revolution. - Gradual changes? - Just the key. - Women are dying right now, Eric. We need immediate action, including quotas for women in medical research and leadership positions. How many more live-- - We're clearly dealing with a complex and emotional issue here. As we wrap up, I want to thank both Eric and Kate for their passionate and insightful contributions to this important discussion. It's clear that women's health concerns deserve our continued attention and action. Thank you for tuning in to Listen 2.