DR MAX PEMBERTON: My ten tips to make sure your GP takes you seriously

I want you to imagine someone having a heart attack. Imagine the scene: you are on the street and suddenly you clutch your chest and collapse to the ground. They are overweight, perhaps they smoke and drink too much, and do not take proper care of their health.

I bet the person you imagined was a man, right? Certainly, most doctors would have thought of a man because cardiovascular disease (a general term for conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels and can lead to heart attacks) has always been considered a “male disease.”

But the reality is that it is the leading cause of death for women in the UK. And because we do not recognize that (because the myth that men suffer from many more heart diseases is so stubborn) women do not receive adequate and timely treatment. It is a silent epidemic.

Now, 33 cardiologists have spoken out and written a joint statement in the academic journal Heart. This highly sexist attitude is causing thousands of unnecessary female deaths a year, they say, demanding the NHS act to improve care for women.

Despite affecting 3.6 million women in the UK, cardiovascular disease is “underdiagnosed (and) undertreated” in female patients, they argue.

The ignorance they highlight – to put it charitably – is impressive. Women are more likely to have symptoms, such as high blood pressure, dismissed by doctors; less likely to receive

life-saving treatment at the right time; and less likely to participate in clinical trials of new drugs.

Shocking studies have also shown that women are less likely than men to receive pain relief and have to wait longer to be seen by health professionals.

Women’s poor experience in the health service was once thought to be the result of old misogyny, but with women now making up a sizeable portion of the workforce, it’s clearly a little more complicated.

Is it really possible that stereotypes of women as more fragile, more rambunctious, and less able to withstand pain – in short, the “hysterical” woman of the Victorian era – continue to support the feeling that women are not They should be taken as Seriously as men when they ask for help? If so, it is clear as day that they are wrong.

How can you combat this when you’re sitting in front of your doctor and how do you make sure they take you seriously?

It must be said that improvement is primarily the responsibility of the medical establishment. It shouldn’t be women’s responsibility to have to change things.

But we live in the real world and there are some things women can do to make sure they feel heard.

This is what I recommend…

• Write a timeline. Go to the consultation with a clear record of the day-to-day life of your problem. This helps show the doctor that you have been monitoring your symptoms and makes it harder for them to dismiss your problem as something minor that will simply get better over time. Likewise, if you have multiple symptoms, keep a symptom diary. This will help your case be taken seriously.

• If you’re talking about pain, try putting a number on it. Quantifying it makes it seem more objective and harder to dismiss. So instead of saying “sometimes it hurts a lot,” start by saying “I have a 5/10 background pain but sometimes it can increase to an 8/10.” Of course, then analyze how it makes you feel and the impact it has on your life.

• Don’t downplay it. Contrary to stereotype, I often find that women try to put on a brave face, especially when it comes to a doctor. If you feel like you can’t cope with the symptoms, then you should feel absolutely able to say so and make it very clear.

• Monitor your blood pressure at home. Women with high blood pressure are sometimes told that their high readings are due to “anxiety.” Counteract this by purchasing a blood pressure monitor and using it during a quiet moment at home; then there will be no discussion.

• Do your reading. Yes, doctors are the experts. But if you go for an appointment, read your symptoms and get an idea of ​​possible diagnoses and treatments. Don’t be afraid to say you’re done reading or have asked a doctor friend for advice.

• Plan what you want to say. If you have difficulty being concise or speaking confidently, write it down and carry it with you. Time is of the essence, so just solve one problem. Ask yourself first: what worries me and what do I think is happening to me? What do I hope to get out of this? This can be summarized in the acronym ICE (ideas, concerns and expectations).

• Bring reinforcements. If you have had bad experiences in the past and it has affected your confidence, take a friend or family member with you.

• Refuse to get nervous. If they seem to suggest that you’re wasting your time, don’t be embarrassed. Ask your primary care doctor what symptoms or changes in symptoms to watch for and when to return if there is no improvement.

• Write down your answers. If you find that a doctor tends to be sloppy, keep a notebook so you have a clear record. This can be useful if you need to return. Knowing that what is said is being written down 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 encourage people to politely write to the practice director explaining why you have done this. Doctors won’t change their attitude if we don’t help them.

I fear the Government’s proposed crackdown on pub opening hours will have unintended consequences. It will limit the enjoyment of those who drink responsibly, and those who have a problem will drink at home… where there are no last orders.

Davina’s Empty Nest Plea

Davina McCall has spoken about how difficult it is for parents to talk about feeling alone after their children leave the nest. And as many children head off to college, I’m sure many parents feel the same way.

However, realizing at some point that your children will grow up is part of being a parent. It seems to happen very suddenly.

Cecil Day-Lewis’s poem Walking Away seems very appropriate: it’s about a father watching his son enter the playground on his first day of school. The ending reminds us that saying goodbye to the world is what being a parent is all about:

I’ve had worse goodbyes, but none so

It still gnaws at my mind. Maybe it’s approximately

Saying what only God could show perfectly –

How individuality begins with a distancing,

And love is shown by letting go.

I am furious at revelations that Sir Keir Starmer’s Covid broadcast urging us to work from home came from Lord Alli’s £18m London flat.

Many of us on the frontline, especially in mental health, were horrified at the way the political elite seemed to have no idea the impact lockdown was having on some of the most vulnerable and poorest people.

They seemed so disconnected. However, we now know that Starmer was in an expensive apartment while demanding restrictions on our freedom! How hypocritical.

It’s easy to demand more restrictions when you live in luxury. Sir Keir, hang your head in shame.

DR MAX PRESCRIBE…JABS FOR COVID AND FLU

NHS England is worried about winter outbreaks of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, a cause of coughs and colds), a so-called “tripledemic” that could overwhelm hospitals. The jabs are available to those over 65 or in vulnerable groups starting this week.