A heart attack misdiagnosis can be fatal. Say that you believe you’re having a heart attack, and you go to the emergency room. While you’re there, a doctor tells you that you just have indigestion or are experiencing anxiety. They send you home without any treatment, telling you to get rest. But going to sleep could actually mean that you pass away because you were having a heart attack.
This can happen to both men and women, but statistics show that it is more likely for a misdiagnosis to occur with female heart attack patients. Doctors are simply more likely to believe women have a different condition, which can delay the life-saving care that they need. But why does this happen?
The symptoms are not always the same
Part of the issue here is that men and women may have very different heart attack symptoms. Doctors may only be looking for the symptoms that are more classically identified with male patients, such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
But if a female patient comes in, she may not talk about having chest pain at all. Instead, she may say that she has back or neck pain. She may complain about feeling fatigued or lethargic. Many women describe a condition that feels like heartburn, according to one cardiology professor, and they may experience symptoms like nausea or dizziness along with it.
If their doctor is only looking for male symptoms, they may be quick to write off women and not realize that they are having a life-threatening heart attack.
Seeking financial compensation
Have you lost a loved one or suffered harm because a doctor made a critical and negligent mistake? If so, take the time to carefully look into all the legal options at your disposal.
