Racial Exclusion: What if my symptoms appear differently?

By RareTing

Last Updated:

1 min read

Throughout my 12 years of seeking adequate answers for symptoms that feel endless and relentless, finding answers have usually left me with more questions. It is widely known that racial disparities drastically impact the lives of Black women in terms of medical racism, bias, and horrendous experiences with medical care. However, I've noticed that with all the recent exposure, there is still little to no change in understanding or acknowledging how symptoms are presented among different patients.

I've recently had a sudden eruption of oral symptoms that seem impossible to me! Although I understand it may be oral ulcers appearing, I am not sure because of how it is often described.

For instance, discoloration, my entire mouth turned into an entire blackout as my cheeks, gums, and even the back of my throat changed from a vibrant pink to deeply colored with blackened flesh. Blisters that form do not turn white or red, and neither do my external skin eruptions.

If anyone knows of resources to help describe various symptoms when encountering towers and illnesses, please feel free to share in the comments.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Lupus.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Erin Rush Community Admin

I think you bring up a crucial and severly underaddressed issue in healthcare, <inline-mention username="RareTing" user-id="9794890"/>. For all the talk about improving health care for women of color, we don't seem to have made much tangible progress. And since much of the previous research and study of conditions like Lupus focused on white people, it makes the very foundation of our understanding of the condition a bit shaky, at best. We're kind of working from a slightly faulty premise from the start, which makes the whole thing, well, extra challenging. And this is extra frustrating since Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with Lupus than white women. This may be information you already know, but here's some information on mouth and nose ulcers -- <a href='https://lupus.net/symptoms/ulcers' target='_blank'>https://lupus.net/symptoms/ulcers</a>. As you rightly pointed out, your ulcers do not match the 'typical presentation' described in the article I linked to. I hate to say this, but it sounds like you will have to keep advocating for yourself at the dentist and with your doctor. Just because your mouth issues may not present the same as someone else's doesn't mean they shouldn't be properly addressed. I don't know if you have seen our series on Amplifying Black Voices. One piece focused on the negative impact Racial bias has had on one's healthcare and I thought you might appreciate it, though you are probably all too familiar with this issue from personal experience -- <a href='https://lupus.net/living/race-ethnicity-patient-experience' target='_blank'>https://lupus.net/living/race-ethnicity-patient-experience</a>. It stinks. You shouldn't have to work harder just to get the same level of care as a white person. You shouldn't have to keep educating medical professionals that should know better. But, for the sake of your health, it might be the best you can do at this time. Thanks for sharing and please know you are not alone in this! Best, Erin, Team Member.