A group of sick people, patients are male, the grammar wants it. Patients are of course included, as it was called.
But all too often practice in the health of women include, but are not considered.
The wrong location is shown on several fields: Many diseases can be detected in women later than in men, many medicines are more likely to be studied in their effect on men.
Old white men dominate the health care
Often, the Problem starts earlier, explains Ingrid Mühlhauser, Professor of health Sciences at the University of Hamburg and Chairman of the working group on women’s health.
“We have in the power structures of the health of a gentleman’s club,” she says. “And determined what research is conducted.”
The result is that Many diseases and issues that affect primarily women, are hardly or insufficient explored, for example endometriosis, a disease with many victims, often suffer severe pain, which is but explored nevertheless, little cysts and inflammation around the ovaries–.
The wrong location is not only woman-specific diseases, but also the so-called people’s diseases, such as Diabetes, but also heart attack are also being affected.
Example heart attack: because Of men’s disease
The sudden pain in the chest, the collapse: The heart attack is considered by many as an exclusively male disease.
The not true at all, says Christiane Tiefenbacher, chief of cardiology at St. Mary’s hospital in Wesel and is a member of the scientific Advisory Board of the German heart Foundation.
However, the heart attack occurs in women slightly differently than men. So the symptoms are often atypical, such as doctors say: “abdominal and back pain, for example, instead of the classic, tight feeling in the chest” how deep Bacher explains.
Even professionals recognize a heart attack in women is often late or even too late.
At other Points it falls short, the expert explains: “Even if the suspicion arises early on, be made less frequent in women consuming investigations, instead, observed for a longer time.”
Also, the prescribed medications are often different and not necessarily better.
Example Diabetes: misdiagnosis, thanks to Fasting blood sugar
As the heart attack, the Diabetes type 2 is often regarded as a male disease, even among Doctors. According to early, he is discovered in men, often.
“For many women, however, we find the only about the complications, after the first heart attack,” says Julia Szendrödi, Deputy Director of the Department of diabetology at the University hospital Düsseldorf.
Often, the misdiagnosis has a very simple reason. “If the doctor tests for Diabetes type 2, he takes often the Fasting blood sugar”, explains the expert. “In women with type 2 Diabetes in the early stages of the disease, however, is often still within the normal range.”
The diagnosis is: no Diabetes and no much-needed treatment. “Men do have slightly more type-2-Diabetes – however, women lose more healthy years of life and have a stronger increased mortality.”
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Medical prejudice is a misconception
Here, too, the psychological underlying causes – for example, when it comes to the treatment.
“Because Doctors often still the prejudice that women care about, anyway well,” says Szendrödi.
“The fact is, however, that many women still always first to the family and then to yourself.”
The women and their environment can do something. Are asked from the point of view of Szendrödi but especially the Doctors.
Problem – avert the danger?
After all, Szendrödi and cardiologist say Tiefenbacher: improvement in sight.
The Problem is now present and play in the training of Physicians a role.
Patients should have it, but nevertheless, on the screen, says Tiefenbacher: “We recommend affected women, the topic is actually targeted and intensive investigation demand it.”
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
*The contribution of “The Blind spot: Doctors, women often give incorrect diagnoses – that is behind it” will be released by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.