If You Want To Google Your Symptoms, Do It The Right Way

The internet is loaded with lots of information on diseases but how do we know if all of them are accurate?

We live in the age of internet. Every little piece of information is just one google search away. A survey conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that almost 90 percent of the patients google their symptoms first and then go to the doctor. Because of this little habit and access to all kinds of information, it has become increasingly difficult for doctors to treat patients. The first step for them is to dispel all the wrong knowledge that the patients already have. Some people even diagnose themselves even before a doctors diagnosis. This increases the doctors workload and needless to mention, self-diagnosis is very harmful for anybody. We are not all experts in medicine. While google may help us recognise our symptoms in some levels, it may also not be one hundred percent correct. If that were the case, the profession of 'doctor' would not exist.

But just in case, here are some tips to use google doctor in the right way.

What To Believe And What Not To Believe?

1. Go to a trusted website and remember that not all of them are authentic or credible. Websites that publish researches and studies or refer to any of them may be credible.
2. Before starting your google search, read up a little on the diseases and not from the internet. Having a basic idea will help you filter trustworthy or untrustworthy content.
3. If these google searches are stressing you out, do not do it.
4. Only search when you urgently need some guidance. Do not go to google for every small health issue that you are facing.
5. If you are doubtful about the search results, consult an experts immediately. You can also discuss the content with the experts in order to know for sure if the information provided is trustworthy.

Pros And Cons Of Referring To Google Doctor

Let us talk about the positive aspects first:

1. All the information in google is just one click away, so if there is an emergency, google can at times save your life
2. If someone is having symptoms of a stroke or a heart attack or any other diseases which can be fatal, you can quickly google how you can help the person. You may get many effective tips from trustworthy websites.
3. You can learn a lot about illnesses and this may help you become a healthier person
4. You can take many precautionary measures through google
5. You can get diseases alerts form the internet and take precautionary measures to stay safe. For example, if diseases like COVID-19 or dengue or monkeypox are spreading, you can find out all the information online and this may be of great help.

What are the cons?

1. You may wrongly diagnose yourself or someone else
2. you may take the wrong medicine and harm yourself
3. You may not be able to recognise your illness if google says that you are fine
4. You may end up overmedicating yourself for diseases you do not have. This will impact your immunity