Four Dangers of Self-Diagnosing Through the Web

With an almost limitless amount of information available to us 24/7, it has become a common practice to turn to Google for answers to ailments. However, while in theory learning more about potential symptoms may help ease a person’s mind, the risk of self-diagnosing looms large. A Statista survey found that 68% of British adults diagnose themselves through the web at least every few months – if not more regularly.
The issue with self-diagnosis is that it may deter people from visiting a doctor. Without medical expertise, self-diagnosis can often become misdiagnosis. Together, with Jonjo Hancock-Fell at private health cover provider, Westfield Health, we take a look at the key issues with self-diagnosing using the web.
One of the most significant problems with self-diagnosing is that it can often be based on inaccurate information. In the case of online searches, unregulated sources of medical information on the web can be highly unreliable. With limited medical knowledge, it’s not always easy for a patient to determine the information’s credibility.
This is why it’s crucial to ask for professional help when something’s not right. A doctor will be able to spot what is causing an issue and give safe advice. With years of training, qualifications, and experience under their belt, they should always be the first port of call. What’s more, physicians have access to a patient’s medical history, which provides them with a clearer picture and a better understanding of the potential causes of symptoms. This also means that they are able to prescribe safe medications and solutions, taking into consideration existing conditions and whatever other medication the patient is taking.
It is fair to say that many conditions have similar symptoms. Weakness, pain, and fatigue are generally the most predominant, and they can be linked to an extremely wide range of possible health issues. Therefore, it is often tricky to formulate a diagnosis based on these common symptoms alone.
Doctors have the knowledge and equipment to rule out possible illnesses and identify the true cause of discomfort. A quick and accurate diagnosis is vital, as some conditions will need further treatment – a door that self-diagnosis cannot open. Occasionally surgery may be required to properly treat your condition. For faster access to surgical treatment, you can get private health insurance, helping you to avoid lengthy waiting lists for surgery and get you on the road to recovery quicker.
Of course, another prevalent risk with self-diagnosing is overestimating or minimising symptoms. Confusing a headache for a much more serious condition can lead to unneeded distress, but in the same way dismissing a pain with reassurance from the internet could cost a patient their important early diagnosis window.
There is no denying that self-diagnosis can be anxiety-inducing. Based on information found online, a person may start to feel worried and anxious, believing that their health is worse than it actually is. This is particularly true for people suffering from cyberchondria, a condition which induces a person to both seek medical information online and feel very nervous about the intimidating diagnoses they find.
Self-diagnosing can hide an array of potential risks and dangers. From sourcing inaccurate information to miscalculating the gravity of symptoms, there are many downsides to trying to self-diagnose. Therefore, we hope this article shines a light on the importance of seeking medical help and advice, which can instead provide founded answers and – hopefully – some much-needed peace of mind.
Global Health & Pharma Magazine looks to keep readers and web users updated with the latest innovations and advancements within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
CookieLawInfoConsent | 1 year | Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
zfccn | session | Zoho sets this cookie for website security when a request is sent to campaigns. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_zcsr_tmp | session | Zoho sets this cookie for the login function on the website. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_ga | 2 years | The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. |
_ga_7GTFNZD3Y9 | 2 years | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. |
_gat_gtag_UA_63302014_1 | 1 minute | Set by Google to distinguish users. |
_gid | 1 day | Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. |
iutk | 5 months 27 days | This cookie is used by Issuu analytic system to gather information regarding visitor activity on Issuu products. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
mc | 1 year 1 month | Quantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
4662279173 | session | No description available. |
zabUserId | 1 year | No description available. |
zabVisitId | session | No description available. |
zft-sdc | 9 hours | No description |
zps-tgr-dts | 1 year | No description |
zsc5bf6c5dde2ed4839ad2d941ab4c83bfa | 30 minutes | No description |