Doctor dismissed Alisa Nirman’s illness as an “anxious young women’s” condition and laughed

A Finnish woman with a complex medical history says a cardiologist dismissed her symptoms as a condition affecting “anxious young women” and laughed at her during a consultation.

Alisa Nirman, 38, first developed severe symptoms—including pain, tinnitus, and dizziness—in childhood. She described episodes where her vision blurred, she felt nauseous, and her heart raced upon standing. Physical education at school was agonising.

It wasn’t until age 32 that she received partial answers: a diagnosis of generalised hypermobility spectrum disorder (G-HSD) and severe dysautonomia, an umbrella term for autonomic nervous system dysfunctions. Some of her symptoms remain unexplained. Yle has verified her diagnoses and medical records.

Nirman also suspected she had POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), a form of dysautonomia. When she consulted a cardiologist, she says the doctor told her, “POTS is a disease of anxious young women,” then laughed. “I don’t know if he expected me to laugh along, but it wasn’t funny,” she said.

Her symptoms are often worst in the mornings, and she carries water, painkillers, topical pain gel, allergy medication, an inhaler, sunglasses, and snacks to manage unpredictable flare-ups.

A 2019 Danish study found women receive diagnoses for the same conditions years later than men, despite using healthcare services more frequently. According to the McKinsey Health Institute, women live longer than men but spend more of their lives in poor health—an average of nine years.

Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has launched a strategy to address women’s health disparities, aiming to improve diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. The strategy is expected to be completed in early 2027.

Researchers note that outdated gender stereotypes—such as the historical belief that women exaggerate symptoms—may still unconsciously influence medical assessments. Elisabeth Widén, a research director in medical molecular genetics at the University of Helsinki, said such biases persist despite societal progress.