All articles tagged with #delayed diagnosis
The article highlights numerous cases of medical gaslighting where healthcare professionals dismissed or misdiagnosed patients' symptoms, often leading to delayed treatment and serious health consequences. It emphasizes the importance of patients trusting their instincts, seeking second opinions, and being proactive in their healthcare, while also acknowledging that some misdiagnoses are unintentional due to biases or lack of knowledge.
After rolling her ankle, Catherine Matacic suffered from increasingly severe ankle pain for eight years, seeking treatment from multiple doctors and physical therapists without success. In January 2023, a rheumatologist diagnosed her with psoriatic arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease, after suspecting it due to her age, activity level, and MRI results. Despite initial skepticism, genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis, and medication has significantly improved her ability to walk without pain. Matacic wishes she had taken her pain more seriously and consulted doctors sooner, emphasizing the importance of respecting injuries.
A new report highlights the significant drop in cancer screenings and subsequent diagnoses during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, raising concerns about cancer outcomes in the coming years. The decline in newly diagnosed cases of major cancers can be attributed to people canceling or postponing screenings, leading to delayed diagnoses and care. Experts warn that it may take time for cancer services to return to pre-pandemic levels. While people are starting to resume routine screenings, there is a backlog of nearly 10 million individuals who missed screenings and need to be caught up. The delay in diagnosis is concerning as it is associated with more aggressive disease and worse outcomes.
Medical gaslighting, where patients' symptoms are ignored or dismissed, disproportionately affects marginalized communities and can lead to delayed diagnoses and worse outcomes. Experts blame a lack of time to properly get to know patients, changing medical research, and a history of studies that focused mostly on white male patients. Women often suffer from delayed diagnoses due to differences in how they present with common diseases and a lack of research on female patients. Patients are encouraged to trust their instincts, prepare ahead of appointments, ask for clarifications and second opinions, and be their own advocates.