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Why Checking Health Symptoms Online is a Bad Idea

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With the internet at our fingertips, it can be very tempting to google our health concerns and get an immediate answer. After all, who has time to make a doctors appointment and spend hours sitting in a waiting room. Add this to the fact that many people don't have a family doctor, and it's easy to see why making your own medical diagnosis is so tempting.

Research suggests that 1 in 4 people are self-diagnosing their symptoms online rather than going to a doctor. We've all done it, and probably convinced ourselves we're dying of a rare disease. Let's take a look at why self-diagnosing isn't such a great idea.

Self-Diagnosis Can Cause Anxiety

Checking your symptoms online is often the worst thing you can do since it can lead to unnecessary anxiety. Nearly half of all virtual health seekers become more anxious than before they logged in, and it's easy to see why. There are millions of medical sites, wiki pages, blogs and quack sites, that spew out confusing and often conflicting information. Many sites give out misinformation or advocate potentially dangerous home treatments for your symptoms. And this is before you're even sure you actually have what their cure is supposed to treat.

This overload of medical information can become overwhelming and panic-inducing, and you end up worse off than before you started your search. Add in that you probably still don't know what you've actually got. Psychology Today suggests that worrying about your health can actually become a real problem, and lead to anxiety induced hypochondria. In short, googling your symptoms is bad for your mental health.

Online Misdiagnosis

Research shows that nearly one-third of people who search medical terms start out calm, and then it quickly escalates; as cramps turn into ulcers and then into internal bleeding. Even common medical sites like Healthline or WebMD could lead down a disquieting path, as harmless words like coughing can bring up pages for benign problems, as well as more serious ones.

As a result, there's a lot of self-misdiagnosis going on. We tend to believe our illness is worse than it actually is. There have been instances of patients seeing their doctor convinced they have a brain tumor when all they have is a common headache. The reverse is also true, and you could misdiagnose a harmless condition that's actually quite serious. The truth is unless you have medical training you just don't know what you've got by looking at a few pictures online.

Google is Not a Doctor

Many people who self-diagnose online don't make it as far as their doctor's office. Of all the people who search the internet, almost 30 percent fail to follow up with a doctor. Some people are convinced they have an illness and decide to treat themselves, while others become paralyzed with fear and don't want to hear an official diagnosis. Delaying proper care can lead to serious consequences. Early treatment can be lifesaving, while delaying to see a doctor because you've self-diagnosed can potentially lead to serious illness or death.

Even websites that have actual facts don't mean that you've correctly identified what's wrong with you. Doctors are trained medical professionals with years of schooling, and they'll be able to give you tests if necessary. A doctor will be able to tell what you've got by your symptoms and performing a medical exam. And more than likely be able to reassure you that your symptoms are not as serious as you think.