You need to be careful when searching for health advice on the internet, here’s why…
*PULSE TODAY. **UK STUDY. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH, SEE YOUR GP. PHOTOS: GETTY
Nearly all of us are guilty of it. We’re worried about a lingering cough or new rash, so type our symptoms into Google. In fact, most of us will read health advice on the internet before deciding to see a doctor. It’sunderstandably tempting, especially when the average waiting time for a GP appointment is 10 days*.
‘Every second patient will tell me they’ve looked at their symptoms on Google,’ says clinical GP Dr Hana Patel. ‘When people have symptoms they’re worried about, it’s natural for them to want an answer straight away.’
Some websites offer a symptom checker – answer questions and it tells you what could be causing them. But how reliable are they, and could they be doing more harm than good?
The risks
IT CAN CAUSE HEALTH ANXIETY
Guilty of frantic scrolling? Self-diagnosing every ache and pain can lead to cyberchondria – health anxiety caused by searching for symptoms online. It’s on the rise thanks to the wealth of health information on the internet, found researchers at Imperial College London.
‘Dr Google is very informative but he doesn’t put things in the right proportion,’ says the study lead Professor Peter Tyrer.
For example, as you scroll through web pages a bad headache soon becomes a brain tumour or some other serious condition – rather than a migraine – which can spark a spiral of unwarranted fears.
‘Attempts to self-diagnose may lead to unnecessary anxiety or even late diagnosis,’ says pharmacist Abbas Kanani from Chemist Click. ‘The human body is incredibly complex, and symptoms can overlap many different diagnoses, all of which can range in severity. This makes it difficult for you to determine the real cause of your symptoms.’
INCORRECT SELF-DIAGNOSIS
Stuck on hold to your GP surgery? Due to long waiting times at a large number of practices, many of us may be tempted to self-diagnose rather than struggle to get an appointment. But this can be dangerous. ‘You could reassure yourself with what you’ve read on the internet, but it could be something else like diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer,’ explains Dr Patel. ‘While it’s good to have some knowledge, I’d always recommend speaking to a health professional.’
CREATING THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO
Typing your symptoms into Google will brin
