The NHS doctor explained how hormones can affect women’s symptoms
The NHS GP spoke about the condition during a podcast appearance(Image: ITV)
Dr Amir Khan, ITV’s resident doctor and an NHS GP, has revealed what could be ‘the most overlooked medical condition in women.’ Speaking on the No Appointment Necessary podcast, Dr Amir Khan and presenter Cherry Healey discussed ADHD in a recent episode.
As seen in a clip shared on social media, the health expert used the episode to explain ‘how hormones can change the way ADHD shows up’, from ‘masking symptoms’ during the cycle to making them ‘hit harder’ around menopause. He also touched on ‘why so many women go undiagnosed for years’ and ‘what’s really going on in the brain.’
Women who have ADHD often get really good at hiding, or ‘masking’, their symptoms by using different ways to cope and strategies to blend in with what society expects. This makes it more difficult for people to recognise their condition.
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, refers to a condition where the brain works differently in some people. The NHS explains: “If you have ADHD, you may have trouble with things like concentrating and sitting still. There are things you can do to help manage your symptoms.”
While men are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, the NHS says women may be more affected by their ADHD, as it often remains undiagnosed for a long time. The mean age of ADHD diagnosis in women who have not been diagnosed as children is 36 to 38 years old.
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Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust explains: “Although males are still more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD in practice, the reality is that women experience the same type, number, and severity of symptoms as males with the condition. Women may be even more affected by their ADHD as it can remain undiagnosed for a long time.”
The guidance continues: “Women often internalise how they feel, and they can ‘mask’ their symptoms in an effort to adhere to social norms and expectations. By doing so, they soon learn to compensate for many of their challenges. Although compensatory behaviours can be helpful, women with ADHD may appear as though they are in control of things, and as such, their challenges often remain hidden from others. This, in turn, complicates inner feelings and emotions for women with ADHD.”
In the podcast, Dr Amir Khan discussed how hormones can also impact symptoms. He said: “ADHD in women is probably the biggest unrecognised medical condition that we have right now. Because oestrogen and to a lesser degree progesterone have an impact on how your ADHD is.”
ADHD can remain undiagnosed for a long time (stock photo)(Image: Getty)
He explained: “What oestrogen does is positively reinforce the signalling pathway in your brain of dopamine. Now what women might find who have ADHD if they’re menstruating is because for the first two weeks of your period cycle, your oestrogen levels are higher, you become better at masking or managing your symptoms of ADHD.
“Then you head into your period, and at that moment, anyway, you might suffer from period mood issues, and at the same time, your ADHD. Because that oestrogen cushion has been removed, your ADHD symptoms hit harder as well.
“And then there’s the other big one, isn’t there? The menopause. With the menopause, of course, oestrogen levels drop again, and masking becomes almost impossible. So masking in ADHD, I can’t stress this enough, is absolutely exhausting.”