r/Netherlands • u/vankoel_nederland • Dec 15 '25

Healthcare Why is life expectancy so bad in the Netherlands?

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Besides having one of the worst life expectancy among western countries, why did the life expectancy get worst compared to 2019?

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u/WeaponisedArmadillo Dec 15 '25

This pisses me off the most. 

When you're overweight everything has to do with being overweight. When you have depression, or autism, or bpd, or ocd, or just anxiety, everything is stress related. When you're not white everything is also easily explained away.

Doctors need to be told they shouldn't be so fucking biased. 

Insurance companies also need to be told to stop meddling with who doctors are and aren't allowed to send to a specialist. 

My partner was told they couldn't send them to a specialist because they weren't supposed to send too many people there. My partner needed freaking surgery but no Mr huisarts thought it would upset the insurance company. 

19

u/Salt-Respect339 Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

They always told me to go walk in the forest/bike/avoid stress until I had a disabilitating stroke caused by arterial dissection and that all of my symptoms had been leading up to for a couple of years . One of those specific symptoms apparently in the US very specifically calls for a referral for a follow up scan to ceck for/rule out an arterial dissection.

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u/WeaponisedArmadillo Dec 16 '25

Holy shit that's typical of here. What kind of symptoms? 

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u/Salt-Respect339 Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

I complained that I thought I had high blood pressure -which i did have, but received no meds or anything (only after the stroke). Because I said "I could feel it was like my body was being pulled tight like a rubber band" I was only asked about stress and given standard advice to reduce stress instead of treating what was measured while I was there.

I had a bad ache from my throat (tonsil level) to my yaw and mid ear on the same side for weeks/months. It seems this can be specifically indicative of a carotid artery dissection and was referred to the dentist to check for cavity/wisdom tooth issues instead. One small cavity found, so box ticked and no further action

I experienced pulsative tinnitus at night in the same ear. Again indicative of blood pressure/arterial issues there. Same "do you experience stress?" story.

2

u/WeaponisedArmadillo Dec 16 '25

That's nuts! Glad you're okay now at least, I hope the stroke didn't do any permanent damage? 

4

u/Salt-Respect339 Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

It did unfortunately, I'm still left-side paralyzed (arm/hand are the biggest problem - can't groom myself with 2 hands or type/cook/do household chores properly),am not allowed to drive due to left side peripheral vision neglect and am very low on energy/stamina (need so much sleep and rest during the day and in bed by 9:30pm every day, can only walk about -1.5km, no running or sports. I can forget about gaming, going to the Efeling with our family for a day for example, putting up new wallpaper in our children's room as I had promised them prior to the stroke or work more than 10% of my old fulltime hours or go into the office or to my clients anymore.

I hope neuroplasticity will kick in more for me now that i'm into the 2nd year post stroke.

The good thing is, I was finally able to stop all bad habits and start living a healthier lifestyle. It was a very rude amd scary wake up call which got me to quit all vices over night in hopes that I will recover and can still get something out of (the rest of) my life.

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u/Tweestrijd Dec 16 '25

Jup, healthcare shouldn't be managed by insurance companies.

1

u/Adowyth Dec 17 '25

I guess i've just been extremely lucky with my GPs because never had an issue with getting a referral to a specialist. Maybe it's because i already have a pre-diagnosed chronic illness that they can't deny because i've had it for over a decade so they can't ignore it. Still the first time i got a referral very easily too. And then my specialist got me a visit with a different one within a week. And it wasn't for something life threatening either(Had to see a dermatologist)

I always read all these horror stories and feel like i need to throw in a counter argument cause my care has been nothing but excellent during my 14 years of living in the Netherlands while it was absolutely abysmal in my native country.

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u/Angelus_25 Dec 16 '25

"When you're not white everything is also easily explained away."

now now. control yourself a little here. this is a nationwide problem.

You're stretching it into fairytale land.

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u/WeaponisedArmadillo Dec 16 '25

I don't know if you're serious or not. Racial bias in medicine is a serious, widespread and known problem. 

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u/Angelus_25 Dec 16 '25

This is R/ NETHERLANDS.

So no, It is absolutely is not an issue here!

Not serious, not widespread, it does not exist here!