Why women ignore pain

Women are often referred to as the weaker sex. Although this is meant to refer to our inability to lift as much as male counterparts of equal fitness levels, it's also a stigma that is hurting women around the world. When women seek help for pain, they are often dismissed as not having as much pain as a male reporting the same symptoms, or even dismissed as simply psychological.

Some women continue to seek diagnosis until they do receive a diagnosis, others die from heart attacks and other conditions that were ignored, and still others learn to ignore pain itself.

In a 2006 study conducted by British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, every woman interviewed reported pelvic pain being dismissed by at least one of the doctors they had seen.

Inequality in pain treatment 

In May, 2018 a 22 year old French woman called emergency services reporting pain so bad she was afraid she would die. Her pain was dismissed by authorities. 5 hours later, she was dead from a stroke and multiple organ failure.

Women tend to be taken less seriously than men when it comes down to their pain, which leads to poorer outcomes. 

Women also experience pain differently than men. Women typically experience more pain for similar problems due to hormones, but oddly enough less pain during a heart attack. They may dismiss a heart attack because chest pain is mild, or missing entirely. Instead, they may feel pain in completely different locations.

Ignoring pain can be deadly however, so much so that UK doctors are urging women to not ignore chest pain during the pandemic. With Covid-19 ravaging the nation, many women are ignoring pain to try to avoid catching the illness, and may end up dying of other issues instead.

Women often struggle to get their pain taken seriously, and may ignore it themselves due to the biases thrown at them. They shouldn't give up however, and continue to advocate for their health, no matter what it takes.

https://www.readersdigest.ca/health/conditions/womens-pain-undiagnosed/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44107960