Kristen Dalhgren was living her dream as an NBC correspondent when she felt a dent in her breast ahead of her 47th birthday.  “A few years earlier I [had done] a story about how 1 in 6 women don’t have a lump when they get breast cancer and I knew this was something I needed to get checked out,” Dahlgren tells Rescripted. “The day after finding the dent I went on an assignment for NBC to cover a hurricane. I called an imaging center and asked if there were mammogram cancellations from people evacuating. I went...

Let's talk about something that many women experience but few feel comfortable discussing: yeast infections. These pesky intruders can wreak havoc on our most intimate areas, causing discomfort, itching, and sometimes even more alarming symptoms like bleeding. If you've ever wondered, "Can a yeast infection cause bleeding?" you're not alone. This question pops up frequently in women's health discussions, and it's time to shed some light on this topic. Yeast infections are incredibly common, with most women experiencing at least one in their lifetime. They occur when there's an overgrowth of Candida, a type of fungus...

Imagine this: You’ve been experiencing worrisome symptoms and debilitating pain for months, and you finally decide to get to the bottom of it. So you fight to get an appointment to see a provider — you swallow your fear, you wonder what life-changing news you may receive…but you do it anyway because you need answers. Only…you don’t get those answers. You’re simply told that what you are experiencing is all in your head, or it’s normal, or it’s nothing worth looking into any further or testing to identify.  The fact of the matter is, medical gaslighting...

Headaches are almost universal — everyone has had one at some point. But if you’ve ever had a migraine or a cluster headache, you know they’re in a league of their own. These aren’t your typical “pop a pill and keep moving” headaches. Both are known to bring intense pain and life-disrupting symptoms, but they have unique traits that can make each one feel like the “worse” option depending on who you ask. Let’s dive deeper into what sets them apart and explore how each can affect daily life in powerful ways. What are cluster headaches?...

Earlier this month, we learned something alarming…and something reassuring: According to the American Cancer Society’s biennial update on breast cancer statistics, incidences of breast cancer are rising, with a slightly higher increase among women under 50. This confirms what a study published earlier this year indicated. But it’s not all doom and gloom: The update on statistics also indicates that the overall death rate among breast cancer patients dropped about 44 percent from 1989 to 2022.  As we’ve all heard many times over, early detection plays such a crucial role in helping breast cancer patients survive...

There are a lot of cool things about getting older. Our life experiences have provided us with wisdom, and we don’t sweat the small stuff as much. Well, technically, we’re not sweating the small stuff because we’re likely too busy dealing with hot flashes and night sweats as part of perimenopause. Perimenopause is one of the not-so-cool things about getting older: As the run-up to menopause (the time when menstrual periods stop for good), perimenopause is when the ovaries begin slowing down the production of estrogen. This generally starts when people are in their 40s, around...

That persistent ringing in your ears after last night's concert still hasn't gone away, and you're starting to worry. Whether it's a buzzing, whooshing, or high-pitched tone, dealing with tinnitus can feel overwhelming and isolating. But you're not alone — nearly 50 million Americans experience this common condition. We spoke with audiologist Melanie Hecker, founder of Bluemoth Hearing, about this condition to see what can be done for tinnitus sufferers. What is tinnitus, exactly? Tinnitus isn't actually a disease — it's a symptom that something else might be going on with your hearing or health. It’s...

updated Feb 16, 2025

  Medical gaslighting is unfortunately something that many women have experienced, especially when it comes to reproductive health. A survey by the Women's Health Network found that 45% of women felt they had experienced medical gaslighting. And in a study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, 71% of women reported experiencing dismissal of their pain by healthcare providers. So, if you’ve ever been led to believe that your symptoms were ‘all in your head,’ you are certainly not alone.  About two years ago, I started experiencing sharp abdominal pain that would come and go at...

Olivia Munn recently revealed she’s been receiving treatment for breast cancer. Munn, who is 43, shared more about her diagnosis and how it came to be in an Instagram post. “In February of 2023, in an effort to be proactive about my health, I took a genetic test that checks you for 90 different cancer genes,” Munn wrote. “I tested negative for all, including BRCA (the most well-known breast cancer gene). My sister Sara had just tested negative as well. We called each other and high-fived over the phone. That same winter I also had...

Going to the doctor for an annual physical is one of the many responsibilities that fall under the “adulting” umbrella. If you’re a woman — or assigned female at birth — then those responsibilities also extend to the yearly gynecological exam. Since we usually think of these exams as only pertaining to women, not girls, it might come as a surprise that your first gynecological wellness visit should take place when you’re still a teenager (around 15 or 16 years old). At this stage, the visit may just consist of a discussion with your doctor about your menstrual...