Doctors Often Misdiagnose or Fail to Diagnose Women’s Health Problems

Physicians in Virginia and around the country often misdiagnose or fail to diagnose several common women’s health issues, according to a recent health report. Health experts say that many women walk out of doctors’ offices feeling that their symptoms were ignored or have not been taken seriously. They are often told that their complaints are “all in their heads” or that everything will be fine if they would just stop worrying. The report warns that the best way for women to avoid having a disease misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all is to become educated and empowered by learning the names, risk factors, symptoms, and treatments for the most commonly misdiagnosed women’s illnesses – – and then push to be taken seriously.

The seven most commonly misdiagnosed women’s health issues are: 1. polycystic ovary syndrome (the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age and the leading cause of infertility); 2. fibromyalgia (a disorder of unknown origin that is characterized by widespread pain, numbness, and exhaustion); 3. chronic fatigue syndrome (although nobody knows the exact cause of the extreme fatigue common to this disorder, studies point to dormant viral infections, hormonal imbalance, and stress); 4. lupus (a malfunction in the immune system where the body becomes its own worst enemy); 5. multiple sclerosis (occurs when the immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerves in the brain and nervous system, breaking down communication between the brain and body and sometimes destroying the nerves themselves); 6. rheumatoid arthritis (a disease that attacks the linings of the joints via the immune system, causing swelling, aching, and potential deformity in hands, wrists, hips, knees, and feet); and 7. irritable bowel syndrome (a disorder characterized by chronic abdominal cramping and pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation).

Pierce & Thornton has handled numerous cases throughout Virginia, including cases in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Suffolk, and the Eastern Shore involving the misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a disease or disorder by a physician, including the failure to diagnose and treat various types of cancers. We encourage you to contact our firm if you question the care rendered to you, a family member, or friend.