Googling disease symptoms is probably at the top of the list of things that everyone has done at least once in their lifetime.
You know, when you feel a sharp pain close to your chest or when a headache persists for too long and you try to avoid going to the hospital by googling “sharp chest pain” or a persistent headache? Yeah, that time.
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Sadly, googling symptoms could become deadly at a point. Here’s why:
Google symptoms inaccurately point to incurable diseases and illnesses.
You could have iron deficiency and feel dizzy when you stand but if you search for ‘dizziness’, there’s a 70% chance that it will be related to cancers and/or tumours.
Medical sites try to generalize symptoms to make sure that a lot of information is put out there for the public but in an instance where a dehydration or iron deficiency could be causing your headaches, your best chance is to see a doctor before you take any medication.
Your self-diagnosis could hide a life-threatening disease.
In as much as we trust google with our assignments and general knowledge, we can’t depend on it when it comes to our health. Symptoms could be the same for a disease, but the medications to take could differ. Google does give treatment options for various diseases but to be on the safe side, get checked at a hospital near you.
Anxiety
Anxiety is no joke. The results of a google search on “numbness in the feet” could cause you to check the people you have in your will. The results range from spinal injury to nerve damage. Leaving you anxious about how dangerous it could be and how many days you have to live. It’s best to avoid this by talking to a medical professional.
We might not be able to stop ourselves from googling our symptoms to help us know what could be the problem, but it is pertinent to understand that Google is not the most reliable source of information when it comes to health issues.
You should see a doctor to complain about these symptoms. Google searches should not take the place of expert medical aid.