Most Americans ignore the symptoms that can be serious: the survey

Six in 10 Americans admit they ignore symptoms that do not feel “serious”, according to new research.

A study of 2,000 adults equally divided by generation and gender found that more than half of women said they were likely to ignore those symptoms (58%).

The survey explored the knowledge gap to find out when the symptoms that feel “mild” should be taken more seriously.

The results found that those who ignore minor symptoms such as rashes, sleep issues or digestive issues, 43% said this is because they assume they are not serious.

Men are more likely to ignore minor symptoms because they believe they can push through them (46% vs 38%), while 44% of women say they do not act on these symptoms because they do not want to react too much.

Performed by Talker Research for MD Live, the survey found that while the average person experiences pain and pain four times a week, women are more likely to experience them daily (23%).

IsinGudare, Boomer women are more likely to relieve these pain and minor pain than other generations (68%).

“Concerns about women’s health are often minimized or misinterpreted, leading a lot to assume their symptoms,” explains Dr. Maggie Williams, Medical Director for Primary Care in MD Live from Evernorth. “This is especially common among older women, who can assume that symptoms are just part of aging. However, conditions do not always present in the same way to women, and when these changes go unknown, critical warning signs may be missing.”

Two -thirds of respondents say they are confident in their ability to identify which diseases affect them based on their symptoms, with 65% of women feel safe in their ability to do so.

However, the survey also found that there are important gaps of knowledge when it comes to how certain health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or mental health issues, can occur differently to men and women.

The survey found that most are not aware that conditions such as depression (61%), anxiety disorders (61%) and shocks (74%) do not appear in gender.

Women were not particularly aware that their symptoms may seem different for digestive disorders (70%), stroke (68%) and thyroid conditions (60%).

When it comes to depression, 47% did not accept that women tend to experience sleep issues, and 38% others did not name sadness as one of the symptoms for women, despite being one of the signs of storytelling.

When asked about acute cardiovascular complications, such as stroke or heart attack, most women have lost symptoms that are common to their gender, including breathing (53%), nausea/vomiting (80%), jaw pain (76%) and pallor (76%).

The survey also revealed how and when people decide to act on their symptoms can be affected by past experiences, especially for women.

Women were more likely to agree that their gender should wait longer for an accurate diagnosis (46%VS 38%), and nearly half (47%) say that cultural stereotypes for women have influenced the perception of how serious their symptoms are.

One -third of women have hesitated to seek further care because they were told their symptoms were “normal” to their gender.

For one in three women who have experienced a late diagnosis or maldiagnosis before, they admit that their lack of awareness of symptoms contributed to that delay.

In fact, one in eight elderly respondents admits that aging has not improved their ability to recognize signs of common diseases they might have been lost when they were younger.

While access to online health information (74%) and social media (56%) has made respondents feel more educated, two -thirds of people admit that they encounter health information every month they oppose something they thought, including 66%of women.

Moreover, one in five women says health information on social media has made them feel more confused about their health.

As a result, nearly one -third of Americans have a difficult time believing the health information they receive from others who are not health care professionals (31%).

“Disinformation and conflicting advice can make it difficult for people to believe what they are experiencing,” notes Dr. Williams. “While online resources can provide general instructions, there is no substitute for talking to a trusted board certified physician who can evaluate the symptoms in the right context and ensure that they are not overlooked or rejected.”

Survey Methodology:

Talker’s research surveyed 2,000 Americans equally divided by generation and gender; The survey was ordered by MD Live and was administered and carried out online by Talker Research between February 19 to February 26, 2025.