Medical Symptoms Women Should Never Ignore (But You May Not Know About)

It can, at times, be hard to tell which unusual symptoms constitute a medical emergency and which symptoms can be expected to clear up by themselves. Women, in particular, have often been socialized to take care of everyone else before taking care of themselves, and may think nothing of ignoring worrying symptoms so they can continue to juggle all the tasks their busy lives require more easily. In addition, research shows that women are taken less seriously even when they do seek medical care, their symptoms dismissed as being caused by emotional factors — even when men with the exact same symptoms would receive immediate diagnosis and treatment. A 1987 study showed that women with abnormal heart test results were twice as likely as men to have these findings completely ignored.

Heart Attacks Present Differently In Women

Do you think heart disease is less likely to strike women than men? Think again. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, similar to men, heart disease is the number one killer of women. In fact, it kills just as many women as men.

Although heart disease is so deadly, many women (and too many doctors) still are unaware of its prevalence in women. They also may be unaware of symptoms and risk factors. Risk factors for heart disease include being overweight, smoking, high blood pressure and elevated LDL cholesterol.

The following facts should help you become more aware of the risks:

• Women under 50 are twice as likely to die from a heart attack as men in the same age range.
• Forty-two percent of women die within a year of having a heart attack, compared to 24 percent of men.
• Heart attacks kill six times as many women as breast cancer. Awareness-campaign that.

The "classic" signs of a heart attack, such as chest pain and shortness of breath, may occur in women, but their symptoms may also be radically different. Up to 71 percent of women expeirence early warning signs that they are about to have a heart attack. These include flu-like symotoms, back pain, and nausea. Chest pain may be completely absent. According to The American Heart Association, prodromal symptoms in women may also include sleep disturbances, unusual fatigue and shortness of breath. These milder symptoms may not be recognized by medical professionals as being caused by a heart attack even when women do seek treatment. The moral of the story is clear: go to a doctor when you have symptoms, and don't go away until they take your symptoms seriously.

Cancer’s Subtle Signs

Most women occasionally feel abdominal discomfort and bloating, symptoms that may be caused by anything from your menstrual cycle to eating too much greasy food. But there are instances where it could be something more.

Ovarian cancer is sometimes referred to as the silent killer, but it is not silent. The symptoms are often subtle, especially at first. Many women ignore early symptoms and attribute their vague complaints to something less serious. Only about 20 percent of ovarian cancer diagnoses are made in the early state of the disease.

Catching the disease early plays a big part in the prognosis. Early symptoms of ovarian cancer include a feeling of pelvic pressure, abdominal swelling, an urgent need to urinate and feeling full quickly after eating. The symptoms above can be due to many other conditions besides ovarian cancer but but if you develop symptoms that don't go away after a week or two, consider a visit to your doctor.

READ Heart Attacks Kill Women Too: How To Recognize The Symptoms

Women may also ignore skin changes they feel are nothing. If you think of skin cancer, you may picture a large, bleeding mole that has increased in size. While skin cancer could present that way, the symptoms may also be quite different. For example, melanoma, which is a serious form of skin cancer, may have initial symptoms such as subtle visual changes to the skin. Basal skin cancer may cause symptoms including scar-like patches on the skin and small bumps with a depressed center. Don’t ignore changes in your skin, especially if you have risk factors for skin cancer, such as excess sun exposure.

Better Safe Than Sorry: See Your Doctor If You Have Symptoms

At times, most people make excuses to avoid doing something they don’t want to do. Whether it is exercise or taking out the trash, procrastination often wins. But no one wins if you put off taking care of your health and ignore subtle signs something may be wrong. Although not every symptom indicates a serious illness, it is better to be safe than sorry. Get your symptoms checked out.

Why Women Ignore Symptoms

If you experience pain or other symptoms, you may have decided to take a wait and watch approach. While you do not need to run to your doctor for every sniffle or bruise, you do not want to ignore everything.

Women ignore symptoms and don’t seek help for numerous different reasons. For example, some women think they are too busy to go to the doctor. Make time. Not going to the doctor can cost you a lot more time.

Being in denial is also a big reason some women avoid seeing their doctor. They don’t want to deal with whatever health problems they think they may have. It is easier to pretend symptoms are nothing serious and no medical care needs to be sought. Beware: The old saying “what you don’t know, won’t hurt you” does not apply in this case. Not knowing about a serious condition can be fatal.

Women may also refrain from seeking help for worrying symptoms because they are embarrassed. Maybe they think their symptoms are unusual, or they do not want to go through the exams or tests required to make a diagnosis.

Another big reason for ignoring symptoms is procrastination. A woman may know she has to get checked out but puts if off until she has time. The problem is she may never make the time until it is too late.

READ Ovarian Cancer: Know Your Body, Know Your Risk

Subtle Signs You Should Not Ignore

In some cases, women ignore symptoms because they are unaware of what they can signal. Educational campaigns on conditions such as heart disease (Google "Just a little heart attack", for instance) and ovarian cancer have helped. If you have any of the symptoms listed below, talk to your doctor as soon as you can.

• Ongoing abdominal discomfort and swelling: As mentioned above, ongoing abdominal pain and swelling can be a sign of many conditions including ovarian cancer. While it is unlikely to be cancer, it is a good idea to rule it out. 
• Blood in your stool: There are a lot of reasons for having blood in your stool, some more serious than others. For example, colitis and colon cancer can both cause bloody stool.
• Extreme fatigue: Some women feel tired all the time. Lack of sleep, stress and being overextended can all lead to fatigue. But if fatigue has started to feel different or is more severe, it can signal a serious illness, such as diabetes, thyroid disease or depression.   
• Severe headaches: Headaches are one of the most common complaints. They may be caused by stress, sinus problem, hormone imbalances and even caffeine withdrawal. But sudden, severe headaches that feel different may be more serious. Although unlikely, a severe headache can be a sign of an aneurysm.
• A lump: If you find a lump anywhere in your body, it’s time to make a trip to the doctor. Although it can be a fatty tumor, why take chances?