“Two years ago I got an incredible headache that was accompanied by dizziness. About twenty times a month I had a migraine attack and I could do nothing for hours,” says Schlikker in WNL In de Kantine on NPO Radio 1. “I went to the doctor. and there I was told that I was probably heading towards a burnout and so I went to a burnout coach.” Still, things didn’t sit well with Schlikker. “I’m also a journalist so I did some research and then I found out that the seizures had something to do with my brain and so I had to see a neurologist.”
Schlikker turned out to be right because the neurologist confirmed that the migraine attacks were related to hormone fluctuations. “I’m now taking medication and haven’t had any problems since.” In the meantime, Schlikker decided to write a number of columns in Het Parool about the search for her condition. “I received an incredible number of responses from women who had also been told that it was ‘all in their head’. And then I thought: much more needs to be done about this.”
‘Not unique’
Cardiologist in training and researcher Chahinda Ghossein-Doha recognizes Schlikker’s story. “Unfortunately, this is not a unique story.” Ghossein-Doha conducts research into the pattern of complaints in women from her field. “In recent years, more attention has been paid to the subject. But before it is researched and included in the textbooks, it will take years.” She continues: “It does not help that we as medical students and also as women are not taught what the pattern of complaints exactly looks like. Recognizing complaints is therefore difficult.”
According to the cardiologist in training, for a real breakthrough in this area, the female body should not be compared to the male body. “The female body is very different and much more complex.” Ghossein-Doha mentions pregnancy and menopause as an example. “The male body is very boring in that sense.”
Women’s Health Day
To once again draw extra attention to the subject, Voices of Women will organize the first Women’s Health Day on May 25. “We are going to raise awareness together that day,” said Schlikker.
2024-03-02 21:36:53
#women #suffer #unexplained #complaints #years
