Knowledgeable and Experienced Guidance

Why women are sometimes misdiagnosed

On Behalf of | Mar 20, 2017 | Medical Malpractice |

Of course, women are biologically quite different from men in many ways. Yet, historically, it has primarily been men’s biology that medical treatment and diagnosis has been based on, even when the patient is a woman. And this way of doing things can lead to women being misdiagnosed.

A misdiagnosis can lead to a patient being issued the wrong kind of medication or treatment. Thus, a woman whose symptoms are correctly recognized could fail to get proper or timely treatment. And there are a number of very serious conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed in women, which include:

  • Many kinds of cancers such as lung, liver, kidney and bladder.
  • Type 2 diabetes.
  • Stroke.
  • Heart disease.

However, the good news is that currently the federal government is encouraging the medical community to examine the differences in which men and women react to diseases and drugs more closely.

When conducting an examination, a physician must be cognizant of the specific symptoms that can provide information about a patient’s condition. And this means being able to factor in the patient’s gender and  perform the diagnosis correctly.  To do otherwise could have very grave consequences, especially if a heart condition or a form of cancer gets missed.

If you are a woman who has suffered a serious health setback due to having a condition misdiagnosed, you may want to discuss your issues with an experienced medical malpractice attorney. Depending on the severity of your present condition, you might be able to successfully pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against the party or parties who failed to provide you with an accurate diagnosis.