7 conditions doctors miss most

It's a tale as old as time: You go to the doctor voicing concerns about symptoms, only to have those symptoms minimized, overlooked or discredited. No wonder Harvard-trained physician Sara Szal Gottfried, M.D., author of The Autoimmune Cure, says, "It's a health hazard to be female." Read on to learn more about the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in women over 50, and what really might be behind your frustrating symptoms.

- —by LISA MAXBAUER

It's not in your head

Why are so many women not getting the help they need? Many conditions have overlapping symptoms. Just think of how many illnesses are linked to something as common as fatigue.

What's more, scientists have historically conducted most medical research on men. And that data doesn't always translate to our ever-evolving bodies. In fact, research on women's health is severely underfunded.

In addition, women's complaints have historically and wrongfully been attributed to “hysteria” or something that's all in our heads.

“Across the board, I think the medical establishment writes off women's problems as emotional instead of physiological. And it gaslights women,” says Kim Howerton, who was misdiagnosed as bipolar when she was really suffering from a thyroid condition. She went on to co-write Common Sense Labs and knows firsthand, “misdiagnosis almost inevitably results in mistreatment.”

Hidden health hazards

Here, some of the most frequently misdiagnosed conditions in women as we age:

Thyroid conditions

Some 60% of thyroid problems go undiagnosed. “The hormonal shifts from both the thyroid and the ovaries can cause a confusing array of symptoms,” says neurologist Romie Mushtaq, M.D., author of The Busy Brain Cure. “An underactive thyroid is frequently mistaken for perimenopause or as aging, causing women to miss out on effective treatment.”

Dr. Mushtaq says “women who complain of fatigue, brain fog and mood swings may be told they have depression or anxiety. And physical aches can be mislabeled as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.”