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Misdiagnosis of heart attack is a problem for women

On Behalf of | Jan 6, 2020 | Medical Malpractice

Women in Georgia may be at a greater risk of being misdiagnosed when they are having a heart attack or stroke. Researchers have found that there is a disparity between misdiagnoses in women and men. Some of the reasons for this disparity could be the way that women present symptoms and the focus of women’s health care concerns.

The typical symptom that is associated with a heart attack is chest pain. However, there are many other symptoms of heart attack that are less common and harder to diagnose. According to an American Heart Association study, women are more likely than men to present less common symptoms, such as vomiting or back pain, when they are having a heart attack. Women are also more likely to worry about breast or cervical cancer than heart disease, even though the latter is the leading cause of death in women.

Stroke, sometimes called a ‘brain attack,” is another life-threatening medical condition that is frequently misdiagnosed in women. Researchers believe that the misdiagnosis of stroke in women is also caused by the fact that women are more likely to present non-classic symptoms. When women experience a delayed diagnosis of stroke or heart disease, they can suffer permanent medical complications.

When making a diagnosis, a doctor must thoroughly examine the patient without jumping to unproven conclusions. If a doctor’s negligence resulted in a misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis, the injured patient could choose to sue the doctor for monetary compensation. A medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help an injured patient to gather evidence to prove that their injuries were worsened or caused by a misdiagnosis.

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