Podcast – Do Doctors Ignore Women? with Dr. Mariza Snyder
Description: Between the latest online fads and the crazy media headlines, it’s easier than ever to get confused about your health. If you want to make better decisions about your health today so you can feel better and live longer, you’ve come to the right place.
Have you heard that horse urine is an effective hormonal treatment? Or that a commonly recommended solution for endometriosis is getting pregnant? Did you know that it has only been in the last 30 years that women have received equal federal healthcare research funding to men? Too much of the information and too many of the findings we have about women’s health aren’t really about women at all. There is so much waiting to be understood about women’s health, and today we’re going to bust some of the most common, and potentially dangerous myths about women’s health.
I’m joined today by Dr. Mariza Snyder, author, speaker and advocate for women in today’s imbalanced medical society. She begins by clearly highlighting some of the biases against women in the healthcare system, from research and testing to misdiagnoses and incorrect treatments. She explains the history and misunderstandings resulting from the big business of women’s health services and also enthusiastically shares the importance of functional nutrition, lifestyle choices, and advocating for yourself as a woman in today’s imbalanced healthcare system.
If you’ve ever been told that your symptoms are all in your head or you’re just not sure which steps to take next to solve the mystery of your health, I know you’ll be encouraged by my conversation with Dr. Mariza Snyder.
Key Takeaways:
[1:10] Today’s topic is women’s healthcare — the history, the imbalance, and the future of women’s health.
[2:23] Dr. C introduces Dr. Mariza Snyder, who shares her experience of misdiagnosis for chronic fatigue and hormone imbalance that led her to her life’s work.
[7:23] Understanding the possibility of dependency on prescriptions that may or may not relieve symptoms.
[8:10] The essential role of self care and proper supplementation for your physical and mental health, and how to avoid relapse into self sabotaging actions.
[11:19] The 45-minute bedtime routine, including her favorite essential oils for resetting and relaxing, that Dr. Snyder refuses to sacrifice under any circumstances.
[14:10] Understanding the reasons behind the ineffective “add women and stir” NIA funded research approach that has been followed in the healthcare system for far too long.
[21:48] The blame that the womb has taken for the fate of women in the healthcare system beginning in the 5th century and the 1940s transition from hysteria to hormone replacement therapy.
[25:40] Male vs. female reporting in the doctor’s office and the results that can have on effective healthcare, including harmful hormone treatments that have been overprescribed in the past.
[34:35] Busting medical myths around endometriosis — its ‘causes’ and ‘solutions’ and the greater understanding that we finally have of it today.
[41:28] Defining endometriosis, its symptoms and the correlation with patients who also suffer with thyroid disease.
[47:12] The readily dismissed symptoms that women are too often misdiagnosed for, including chronic pain, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and hormonal-driven changes.
[50:56] Dr. Snyder’s call to women to bravely advocate for their own care and specific actions and questions you can ask of your healthcare provider.
[55:01] You can avoid inconsistent testing results by considering your monthly menstrual cycle when scheduling tests.
[59:45] Do you have a topic you’d like me to cover? Contact me on Facebook or Instagram using #medicalmyths.
To learn more:
Tweetables:
“Too many doctors believe they can learn what they want to about women by studying men, and we know that isn’t true.” — Dr. Christianson
“More and more research is beginning to show that there is a bias in the health care system against women.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder
“It’s so interesting to me that for hundreds of years, pain and menstruating women has not qualified as a medical mystery worth solving.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder
