Doctors often do n’t like it when patient use Google toself - diagnosetheir ailment — and not only because it means less piece of work for them . The internet is rife with inaccurate aesculapian information , and if you live hypochondria or health - related anxiety , asmany of the peoplewho obsessively appear up their aesculapian symptom do , manoeuvre down a net rabbit trap can leave behind you more stressed .
But whether it ’s a smart idea or not , many of us will take care up our medical symptoms online at some point . In 2013 , thePew Research Center’sInternet & American Life Project discover that about 35 percent of Americans went online specifically to diagnose their own aesculapian condition or that of someone they know . Of people who went online to try general health info , eight in 10 embark on their symptom inquiry with a search locomotive rather than go directly to a aesculapian internet site or some other source . With that in creative thinker , there are some things to be cognisant of if you ca n’t wait to consult your Doctor of the Church before ferment to the web .
To have a electropositive researching experience , Quartzrecommends evaluate your mental state before starting the appendage . If your quest for more information about your health comes from a hardheaded , stratum - head stead , it believably wo n’t hurt too much to plug your symptoms into the hunt streak . But if you ’ve already convinced yourself that something is seriously wrong and you ’re hop the lookup will relieve your worries , you should pause for a second .
ego - diagnosing online seldom alleviates anxiousness and often shit it worse . Typing chest pain intoWebMD , for example , brings up everything from pyrosis to heart attack . So do n’t take off google your medical symptoms if peace of mind is your goal . And if you find that looking at health data puts queasy thoughts in your promontory that were n’t there before , log off , or put a terminus ad quem on your browsing time to discourage such opinion from protrude up in the first blank space .
Another way to save yourself unnecessary tension is byavoiding sourcesfilled with undependable information . regime websites , likeMedlinePlus.gov , and pedantic internet site , like theJohns HopkinsMedicine Health Library , are often the most trusty resourcefulness . Always check up on the engagement on clause to make certain they ’re fair recent , and see if the varlet lists the aesculapian certificate of the author . And even if you ’re confident in your ego - diagnosing , always visit a anatomy - and - blood Dr. before act on your search results .
[ h / tQuartz ]
