Nobody really enjoys going to the doctor and Google has become the go-to alternative.
People google their medical symptoms all the time, typing their ailments into the search box, convincing themselves they suffer from some rare disease before finishing reading the results on page one.
Are you one of them?
Here are four compelling reasons why you should step away from the keyboard.
1. Anyone Can Be Behind the Content You Find Online
Nowadays, everyone can start up a site or blog and publish content online.
So you may be getting your medical advice from a trusted clinician from a reputable medical site. Or a guy sitting who has neither the credentials, the experience nor the knowledge to offer advice on the topic.
Yes, Google algorithms will try to give you the most relevant result for your query, but it doesn’t validate or check the information for you in terms of accuracy. Nor does it do a background check of the person writing it.
Truth is; you usually just don’t know how reliable an online source really is.
2. There’s Some Dangerous Advice out There
Some sites take advantage of people’s vulnerability and try to sell potential harmful products.
The products may be harmless and just cost you your money. However, they could also have unwanted consequences on your health.
Some sites will offer personal advice wrapped up as professional advice.
Even though the people behind this information are most likely not malicious in their intent, following their advice can definitely be dangerous.
There’s a reason doctors spend so much time in school; the field of medicine is a highly complex one. Relying on opinions rather than facts or incomplete information when it comes to your health will only do more harm than good.
3. Googling Your Medical Symptoms Feeds Your Imagination
Click enough times and even a common cold symptom can lead you to a result which suggests you have a life-threating disease like cancer or that you need surgery right away.
And that plants a seed in your mind – one which will fuel your initial worry, feed your imagination and ultimately make you exaggerate your symptoms.
Even if the fear is irrational, most of us tend to think the worst possible scenario is the one which is going to happen. It’s how the mind usually works.
So while most people turn to the web for comfort and reassurance that there’s nothing serious going on with their health, they can end up more worried, more stressed and severely anxious.
4. Wikipedia Is Not a Credible Medical Encyclopedia
Sure, you can’t rely on random sites for checking medical symptoms, but Wikipedia is ok, right?
This seems to be a common belief, as Wikipedia is the sixth most popular website for medical information. People tend to believe the information shown on Wikipedia is mostly reliable.
In reality, though, most medical articles posted on the platform are not up-to-date or contain “many errors”, as shown in a study mentioned here.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that anyone can edit an article on Wikipedia and that medical information is continually evolving.
It’s not to say all the information there is incorrect and unreliable, but why take the chance?
Try a Better, More Reliable Alternative and Gain Peace of Mind
Diagnosio is an innovative medical symptoms checker which uses machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to provide reliable self-diagnose. To do so, the app taps into a huge database of thousands of documented diagnoses and millions of previous queries based on your symptoms.
The great thing about it is that it allows you to run a diagnose from the comfort of your own home – without compromising with scientific and clinical validated data.
Sign up for a FREE trial today and you will never have to place your faith in Google ever again.