Illnesses that Doctors Often Miss in Women

These are diseases often missed by doctors and they commonly hit women in their 20s and 30s without any knowledge and therefore go untreated.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

More than one million Americans and 80 percent of which are women, suffer from CFS. It is characterized by fatigue that just will not go away, but other symptoms can include sore throat, muscle and joint pain, forgetfulness, insomnia weakness, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, skin sensations and weight loss. Experts have not identified a single cause, and no diagnostic tests are available. Because of this, doctors treat symptoms as they appear.

Fibromyalgia

Chronic pain is the number-one warning sign of this disease I, which affects up to 7 percent of Americans, most of them are women. Sufferers often complain of all-over musculoskeletal discomfort. Other symptoms include fatigue, impaired coordination, insomnia, skin sensitivity and rashes, headaches, anxiety and irritable bowel and bladder. As with CFS, the cause is unknown and there is no one "cure", symptoms are also treated as they occur.

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)

Symptoms of IBS, which affects about 40 million women, include abdominal pain, bloating gas, diarrhea and constipation. No lab test can diagnose IBS, and a doctor must first rule out other gastrointestinal disorders which are similar. Irritable bowel syndrome is understood as a multi-faceted disorder. In people with IBS, symptoms result from what appears to be a disturbance in the interaction between the gut or intestines, the brain, and the autonomic nervous system that alters regulation of bowel motility (motor function) or sensory function. Treatment options are available to manage IBS-whether symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe. Treatment is usually a combination of stress management, fiber supplements and medication.

Scleroderma

An auto immune disease that causes the hardening and scarring of the skin and connective tissues may affect multiple organs and can also cause kidney failure and pulmonary hypertension, which can lead to heart failure. The cause of scleroderma is not known. Researchers have found some evidence that genes are important factors, but the environment seems to also play a role. The result is activation of the immune system causing injury to tissues that result in injury similar to scar tissue formation. The fact that genes seem to cause a predisposition to developing scleroderma means that inheritance at least play a partial role. It is also a disease that occurs in women than it does men. At this time there is no cure for scleroderma. Therefore treatment is designed to control the symptoms. Establishing the correct diagnosis is important because something can be done to manage most forms of arthritis and most therapies work best when started early in the disease.