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Medical conditions don't manifest in the same manner in every population. Of course, individual differences are determinant, but the person's sex also plays a role in this. Generally speaking, symptoms, as well as severity of outcomes, vary depending on whether the sufferer is of the male or female sex. In this gallery, we compile a list of conditions in which this occurs.
Click on to learn how men and women are differently affected by some medical conditions.
In women, hair loss can be triggered by a number of factors, namely stress, hormonal imbalances, or nutritional deficiencies. Hair thinning can also be a side effect of medication, which can also lead to hair loss.
For men, it’s more of a genetic problem. Male-pattern baldness is hereditary, with about half of the male population experiencing some level of it by age 50.
Risk factors are similar for both sexes, but women may have less obvious symptoms when having a heart attack, when compared to men.
As cardiologist Dr. Lili Barouch explains, "Women are much more likely to get less common symptoms such as indigestion, shortness of breath, and back pain, sometimes even in the absence of obvious chest discomfort.”
Women start to develop alcohol problems earlier than men, even if they drink less comparatively. They are also more susceptible to developing liver and brain damage as well as heart disease in the long term.
Men, however, are more likely to binge drink than women, which can result in a higher percentage of alcohol-related injuries. Another consequence of alcoholism that affects men and doesn't affect women is erectile dysfunction.
Women between the ages of 55 and 75 are at greater risk of suffering a stroke. And in general, more women tend to die from it when compared to men. In the US, strokes are the fifth leading cause of death for women, with one in five suffering a stroke at some point in their lives.
Symptoms also vary between the two sexes, with women experiencing less of the typical symptoms (i.e. they are less likely to experience numbness and pain). For this reason, women are more likely to be misdiagnosed when they go to the hospital.
"Women more frequently have atypical, vague symptoms. They might start with fatigue, confusion or maybe general weakness, as opposed to weakness on one side of the body," explains neurology professor Dr. Pooja Khatri.
Migraines are not your average headache. A throbbing headache is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea and light sensitivity. The condition is more common in women in general, but men tend to experience more migraines earlier in life, usually before they reach puberty.
Women, on the other hand, start getting them when they are teenagers, and frequency can increase well into their thirties. The good news is that migraines tend to decrease when women reach menopause.
It’s safe to say that the vast majority of people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease are women. But again, women do live longer than men, and age is the greatest risk factor when it comes to Alzheimer's.
Considering the female to male ratio, some researchers have found that Alzheimer's disease could be an autoimmune disorder, which women have a predisposition to.
Mostly for anatomic reasons, women are much more likely to contract UTIs when compared to men. Bacteria simply have to travel across a longer urethra in men, which is why they don’t get as many infections.
But men still get UTIs, especially as they get older. Plus, they are more likely to be hospitalized for them.
Some symptoms, including worry and difficulty in sleep and staying focused, are similar in both men and women. But women are more likely to feel sadness associated with it.
Men, on the other hand, tend to bottle up their emotions more, which can sometimes lead to engagement in high-risk activities, rather than a display of sadness.
Women have an edge over men when it comes to chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or fibromyalgia. Women in general are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions, and indeed pain.
The reason may be women’s immune system, as a study suggests: "The clear sex differences in immune system function have implications for other disorders in addition to chronic pain and should be considered in the development of treatments and the preclinical studies that underlie them."
Women get the short end of the stick when it comes to how fast their bones get weak and brittle. This is because of hormonal changes that occur after menopause. Though both men and women get the same rate of bone deterioration after 65.
The condition is rarer in men, but it does occur, especially due to low testosterone levels. Because the majority of osteoporosis sufferers are women, men don’t have as many treatment options, as some medications have not been tested on men.
Men are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even at lower fat percentages than women.
Women, however, tend to suffer more complications caused by the disease, such as vision problems, heart and kidney disease, and stroke.
Plus, pregnant women can also get gestational diabetes, which even though temporary, requires monitoring, as it may cause complications for both the mother and the baby.
Like previously mentioned in relation to UTIs, women are anatomically more vulnerable to STIs than men. Not only that, but the consequences of contracting an STI are greater in women, which can even lead to infertility.
Symptoms don’t always manifest in women, and when they do, these can be really common and easily dismissed as something else. Mens symptoms (e.g. penile discharge) are more easily diagnosed.
More women are diagnosed with depression than men, and while many symptoms are similar in both sexes, women tend to experience more sadness and low energy.
Depression in men can manifest through other symptoms, including irritability, digestive issues, headaches, and an increase in risky behavior (e.g. drinking).
Women also seek more professional help when symptoms arise. While some men do seek help, many focus on the physical symptoms rather than the root cause of the problem, so they are less likely to look for psychological support.
Men tend to develop the condition earlier in life, but women quickly catch up after reaching menopause.
Men are at higher risk of heart disease, which is closely related to hypertension, but women seem to be at higher risk of ischemic stroke caused by hypertension.
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These conditions affect men and women differently
The severity of symptoms can differ between men and women
HEALTH Illnesses
Medical conditions don't manifest in the same manner in every population. Of course, individual differences are determinant, but the person's sex also plays a role in this. Generally speaking, symptoms, as well as severity of outcomes, vary depending on whether the sufferer is of the male or female sex. In this gallery, we compile a list of conditions in which this occurs.
Click on to learn how men and women are differently affected by some medical conditions.