General Posts / Health & Fitness

3 Common Misdiagnosed Illnesses in Women Over 40

Women often aren’t heard by their doctors, with many mistaking serious illnesses for natural occurrences like menopause. In this article, we take a look at the three common misdiagnosed illnesses in women over 40.

When we don’t feel well, we rely on our GPs to determine the cause. Often GPs are quick to find the cause and a solution to your illness, but in some instances, some conditions are incorrectly misdiagnosed, especially where there are similar signs.

Medical misdiagnosis is where a medical professional, often a GP, fails to diagnose a patient’s illness, but there are different types. It could be an incorrect diagnosis, misdiagnosing a condition for something else, failing to spot the illness at all or a delayed diagnosis.

If you have suffered from an illness misdiagnosis that has worsened your actual condition or caused a loved one to die, you could be eligible to make a GP negligence claim. Compensation can help to provide support during a difficult period when you may be unable to work.

To learn more about how common misdiagnosis is in the UK, the three common misdiagnosed illnesses in women over 40 and why looking after your body in your 40s is crucial, keep reading…

How common is misdiagnosis in the UK?

Unfortunately, GP misdiagnosis seems to be quite regular, with research published in the BMJ Quality & Safety finding misdiagnosis happens in 4.3% of GP consultations. More than 300,000 million consultations happen each year, meaning that’s 12,900,000 million instances of misdiagnosis.

What Are the Common Misdiagnosed Illnesses in Women Over 40?

1.     Heart Disease

Heart disease is, unfortunately, the highest cause of death across the UK, so misdiagnosis of this disease can be deadly, but among women over 40 and in general, misdiagnosis frequently occurs. In addition to this, in comparison to men, women are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with something else after suffering from a heart attack due to the different symptoms men and women incur.

2.     Breast Cancer

Breast cancer isn’t so common in those aged in their 40s, with it mainly being those over the age of 50 diagnosed. But where someone over the age of 40 does have breast cancer, it isn’t always so straightforward to determine, meaning misdiagnosis often occurs.

Breast cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed for other types of illnesses, such as:

• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Mastitis – sometimes mistaken for inflammatory breast cancer where there is no lump, only inflammation

3.     Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is more common in older adults. While those most likely to be vulnerable to ovarian cancer are adults aged between 75 to 79 years old, the incidence rates can increase rapidly from age 40.

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer is hard to spot early on and can often be misdiagnosed for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as gastrointestinal or bowel problems. Currently, only 20% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in stage I or II.

While there are not often early stage symptoms of ovarian cancer. Some symptoms to be aware of can include:

• Bloating
• Abdominal or pelvis pain
• Feeling full quickly when eating
• Frequent urge to wee

Should you experience these symptoms and have concerns, it’s wise to speak to a medical professional at the earliest opportunity. Some women in their 40s develop symptoms of pudendal nerve neuralgia which should also be taken care of by a healthcare professional.

To learn more about ovarian cancer and the common misdiagnosis, see WebMD.

Why are health, diet and fitness so important in your 40s?

No matter what age you are, you should consider nourishing your body with healthy foods and participating in regular fitness. Our overall diet and exercise routines have a significant impact on our health and can help to reduce the risk of cancer and other types of diseases, which can be increasingly more common once you hit the age of 40.

Obesity and the overall diet we eat are often linked to cancer, with medical research discovering obesity to be the cause of 13 different cancer types.

Processed meat, red meat, alcohol, high-calorie foods and sugary drinks are all known to be a connecting cause of cancer. Reducing your intake of these types of foods and drinks in your overall diet and increasing the amount of high fibre and dairy you eat can help you to have a healthy and balanced diet and reduce the likelihood of getting cancer.

While indulging in fast food, alcohol and having an occasional lazy day isn’t the end of the world, there needs to be a healthy balance of both.

For more information, see Cancer Research UK’s article Does eating a healthy diet reduce my risk of cancer?

Misdiagnosis Is Becoming All Too Common

From this article, it can be said that misdiagnosis is an all too common occurrence in women over 40 but also in general, with men and women of all ages being impacted.

If you are suffering from an illness and the advice provided by a GP has not helped with the symptoms of your condition, it’s really crucial to keep pressing them on the matter. Misdiagnosis can cause considerable problems if left too long.

Have you suffered from misdiagnosis? Let us know in the comment box below.