ScienceGlobal issues
Medical gaslighting: How rare diseases can go undiagnosed
https://p.dw.com/p/5IQtj
Chronic pain, persistent diarrhea, shortness of breath, and a racing heart — what happens when doctors are unable to diagnose or treat life-altering symptoms? For some, the reason is that they have a rare disease that the doctor is unfamiliar with. Or they’re experiencing what is known as “medical gaslighting” when patients are told that their illness is in their head. Or a combination of both factors. DW also looks at cystic fibrosis, and a breakthrough new treatment is giving patients fresh hope — if they have access to the very expensive medication. This episode of In Good Shape follows people whose symptoms were dismissed or misunderstood for months or even years before they finally received the correct diagnosis. One of them is Tabea, whose severe diarrhea became life-threatening while she was falsely diagnosed with anorexia and schizophrenia — before one doctor finally identified a rare autoimmune disease behind it.
