As soon as we have the slightest headache, rash or even the odd pimple, we switch on our web browsers and head straight to health websites for answers on our condition. In our experience, this has never turned out well in a large number of cases. Here is a list of reasons why you should avoid depending on the internet to provide solutions to your health problems.
A website cannot scrutinise you like an experienced doctor
It is unlikely that the average person correctly detects what condition they have, based on what a search engine has to say. This is why going to a doctor is essential. For instance, if you have a rash on your breasts, it could be anything from a bacterial infection to an insect bite or breast cancer. An experienced medical practitioner may take one look and tell which one it is, but what you see on the internet, based on keyword optimisation, cannot match that level of accuracy. Not only that, physical illnesses require physical examination.
The internet is full of ineffective and/or dangerous home remedies
If you read online that headaches can be cured by drinking green tea, you might just drink 10 cups of green tea a day based on that advice. But did you know that green tea contains certain amounts of caffeine and can cause headaches too? Similarly, coffee is often recommended as a headache reliever, when it in fact triggers migraines.
Stalling actual diagnosis by selfdiagnosing online can delay the detection of serious illnesses
There are many reasons we avoid seeing doctors. Rising medical costs, lack of time and stalling for fear of bad news are among them. Then, there is also the shame attached to STDs or illnesses like breast cancer or cervical cancer. Many women depend on the internet to diagnose their condition, choosing to accept whichever result suits them best. Don’t do this. Go to a doctor and get tested.
In most cases, sites conclude that we have some deadly disease
A good reason to see a real doctor instead of searching the internet for cures is that most sites will say you have a scary, chronic illness. Nearly every tiny symptom, be it a boil or a cough, eventually, can turn into cancer, according to many sites. This is because most websites don’t want to run the risk of giving incomplete information or trivialising what could grow into a serious condition. So, they present a worst-case scenario and recommend seeing doctors for legal safety. But this also feeds anxiety and misinformation. The only way to know what is really happening, then, is to ask a doctor, face to face.
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