I want you to imagine someone having a heart attack. Picture the scene: they are in the street and suddenly grip their chest and sink to the floor. They’re overweight, maybe smoke and drink too much, and don’t take proper care of their health.
I bet the person you imagined was a man, wasn’t it? Certainly most doctors would have thought of a male because cardiovascular disease – a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, which can result in heart attacks – has always been considered a ‘male disease’.
But the reality is that it is the biggest killer of women in the UK. And because we don’t recognise that – as the myth that men suffer from much more heart disease is so stubborn – women aren’t getting proper, timely treatment. It is a silent epidemic.
Cardiovascular disease is the the biggest killer of women in the UK
Now, 33 cardiologists have spoken up, writing a joint statement in the academic journal Heart. This highly gendered attitude is resulting in thousands of unnecessary female deaths a year, they say, demanding that the NHS acts to improve the care for women.
Despite it affecting 3.6million women in the UK, cardiovascular disease is ‘underdiagnosed [and] undertreated’ in female patients, they argue.
The ignorance they highlight – to put it charitably – is breathtaking. Women are more likely to have symptoms, such as high blood pressure, dismissed by doctors; less likely to receive
life-saving treatment in a timely fashion; and less likely to be involved in clinical trials for new medications.
Shocking studies have also shown that women are less likely to be given pain relief than men and have to wait longer to be seen by health professionals.
The poor experience of women in the health service was once thought to be the result of plain old misogyny, but given women now make up a considerable portion of the work force, it’s clearly a bit more complicated.
Can it really be that stereotypes about women being more fragile, making more of a fuss, being less able to cope with pain – in short, the ‘hysterical’ woman of the Victorian age – still underpin a feeling that women should not be taken as seriously as men when they ask for help? If so, it’s clear as day that they’re wrong.
How can you combat this when sat in front of your doctor and how do you ensure they take you seriously?
It should be said that it is primarily the medical establishment’s responsibility to improve. It shouldn’t be down to women to have to change things.
But we live in the real world, and there are some things women can do to ensure they feel heard.
Here’s what I recommend…
- Write a timeline. Go into the consultation with a clear day-by-day record of your problem. This helps show the doctor you have been monitoring your symptoms and makes it harder for them to dismiss your issue as something minor that will simply get better given time. Similarly, if you have multiple symptoms, write a symptom diary. This will help your case to be taken seriously.
- If you’re talking about pain, try to put a number on it. Quantifying it makes it appear more objective and harder to dismiss. So, rather than saying ‘it really hurts sometimes’, start by saying ‘I have a background pain of 5/10 but at times it can increase to 8/10’. By all means, then go into how it makes you feel and the impact it has on your life.
- Don’t downplay. Contrary to the stereotype, I often find women try to put a brave face on things, especially with a male doctor. If you feel like you can’t cope with the symptoms, then you should absolutely feel able to say this and make it very clear.
- Check your blood pressure at home. Women with high blood pressure are sometimes told their high readings are because of ‘anxiety’. Counter this by buying a blood pressure monitor and using it in a calm moment at home – then there can be no arguing.
- Do your reading. Yes, doctors are the experts. But if you’re going to an appointment, read around your symptoms and have some idea of the possible diagnoses and treatment. Don’t be afraid to say you’ve done reading or asked a medical friend for advice.
- Plan what you want to say. If you struggle with being concise or with speaking confidently, write it down and bring it with you. Time is tight, so only go with one problem. Ask yourself beforehand: what am I worried about and what do I think is happening to me? What am I hoping to get out of this? This can be summed up in the acronym ICE – ideas, concerns and expectations.
- Bring back-up. If you’ve had bad experiences in the past and this has knocked your confidence, then take a friend or family member with you.
- Refuse to get flustered. If they appear to suggest you’re wasting their time, don’t be embarrassed. Ask the GP what symptoms, or changes in symptoms, you should be watching out for, and at what point you should return if it doesn’t improve.
- Write down their answers. If you find a doctor tends to be off-hand, take a notebook so you have a clear record. This can be useful if you need to return. Knowing what is said is being noted will also sharpen the doctor’s mind.
- Ask to see someone else. Don’t be afraid to refuse to see a particularly dismissive doctor. In fact, I’d encourage people to write politely to the practice manager pointing out why you’ve done this. Doctors won’t change their attitude if we don’t pull them up on it.
I fear the Government’s proposed crack down on pub opening hours will have unintended consequences. It will limit the enjoyment of those who drink responsibly, and those with a problem will drink at home… where there’s no last orders.
Davina’s empty nest plea
Davina McCall at the ‘My Mum Your Dad’ TV show launch on August 29
Davina McCall has spoken about how hard it is for parents to talk about feeling lonely after their kids fly the nest. And as many children set off for university, I’m sure lots of parents will feel the same.
Yet, realising at some point that your children will grow up is part of being a parent. It just seems to happen very suddenly.
The poem Walking Away by Cecil Day-Lewis feels very apposite – it’s about a father watching his child go into the playground on his first day of school. The ending reminds us that seeing them off into the world is what being a parent is about:
I have had worse partings, but none that so
Gnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughly
Saying what God alone could perfectly show –
How selfhood begins with a walking away,
And love is proved in the letting go.
I’m furious at revelations that Sir Keir Starmer’s Covid broadcast urging us to work from home came from Lord Alli’s £18million London flat.
Many of us on the front line, especially in mental health, were horrified at the way the political elite appeared to have no idea of the impact lockdown was having on some of the most vulnerable and poor people.
They seemed so out of touch. Yet we now know Starmer was hanging out in a costly flat while demanding restrictions on our liberty! What a hypocrite.
It’s easy to call for more restrictions when you’re living in the lap of luxury. Sir Keir, hang your head in shame.
DR MAX PRESCRIBES… COVID AND FLU JABS
NHS England is concerned about winter outbreaks of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus in what has been termed a potential ‘tripledemic’ (file photo)
NHS England is concerned about winter outbreaks of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, a cause of coughs and colds) – termed a ‘tripledemic’ that could overwhelm hospitals. Jabs are available to those over 65 or in vulnerable groups from this week.
