"Dr google will see you now!!!"

[imisssuz]

I don't think it's a bad thing looking up your symptoms ,etc...as long as it's from NHS website...Doctors don't have much time to see you these days so if you can ask questions you wouldn't ask if you didn't have a computer....then it can only be a positive thing when the doctor rules it out.

[WJ86]

I'm guilty of this! Self diagnosing via Dr Google is a devastating strategy!

[yenool]

The problem is a lot of symptoms are very vague and not specific for any particular disease, so searching for symptoms will bring up an exhaustive list of things to worry about..... and of course often the mundane stuff like anxiety or a cold is right at the bottom of that list, with the more exciting dangerous stuff at the top.

Then if you actually search Google for a specific illness (rather than symptom) it will bring up an exhaustive list of possible illness symptoms, some of which will match up with almost any other illness you could possibly have, including anxiety. Plus there is often not any explanation as to which symptom is most common or specific for that illness........ so for example you may see 'nose bleeds' as a symptom of brain tumor without being told it is a really, really rare symptom. (just an example, no idea if that is factually correct or not).

[emlica]

This is so true, I swear Google is responsible for most of my bad days at the moment. The minute I think I have a slightly 'different' symptom and I google it, the worse I suddenly feel. Some of the NHS pages are quite good, but steer well clear of anything like Yahoo Answers because people say all sorts on there (I read a post the other day from someone who so obviously had something like Norovirus and someone replied to say 'you have dysentery or cholera and you need a doctor now'. Seriously?).

[Edward_1980]

Ubermod - interesting you wrote this post as I started writing something about Googling the other day and this is as far as I got:

To Google or not to Google

We all do it but why? What are you looking for?

I am betting that you are looking for the worst every scenario and that will usually be cancer, death, serious illness, horrid end to life, no hope, may as well give up now.

Sound familiar?

Well that is because you are looking for the worst ever possible diagnosis and never the usual, normal and easiest explanation.

Why? Because you don’t want to imagine it is something simple that is easily treatable – you want it to be serious and life threatening and of course you will die from it.

But will you?

The internet is a fantastic resource but if you abuse it then it becomes your worst enemy.

Use it wisely and do NOT believe all you read.

If you really really do have to Google then do it wisely and use choice words.

E.G. if you have a headache then DO NOT google for “headache brain tumour” as you will inevitably find that you have ALL the symptoms.

Instead Google for “headache causes” and you will find loads of other reasons including simple things such as dehydration!

Ok Cancer – this is going to be on every single post you look for so I wanted to test this and did some silly searches:

Cancer big toe – yup I have loads of those symptoms so I MUST have cancer ! ( I will not post what it said here but I could easily have them all)

Cancer swollen abdomen – Oh I have all of them too so I MUST have cancer

My point here is that whatever you Google for you can get and it will do you no good at all keep reading and searching more.

Use it wisely like I do.

I get a new medication and I Google the medication but want to see if it interacts with other meds or whether the occasional alcoholic drink is ok and I do not look for side effects or death or cancer as it serves no purpose.

Use Google wisely and Do NOT look for something that isn’t there. Look for the positives and NOT the negatives. Use the key search words wisely or you WILL freak out and have cancer and imminent death with every condition you have I assure you.

Now, why does that sound familiar Nicola?

Most likely because yesterday I googled "Migraine Brain Haemorrhage" and read all about my impending death. The things we Google sometimes are unreal. I agree with everything you say.

[Eyji1]

I'm so guilty of this. It almost never helps. Well I did find this site through Google so I guess it's not all bad. But Googling "chest pains" & "Numbness in face" or "Difficulty breathing" is not a good idea as most of you probably know, hahaha.

[Edward_1980]

I'm so guilty of this. It almost never helps. Well I did find this site through Google so I guess it's not all bad. But Googling "chest pains" & "Numbness in face" or "Difficulty breathing" is not a good idea as most of you probably know, hahaha.

I'm too guilty of it. Whenever there's a symptom I Google for it, but add a deadly disease to the search term and bang, my death is impending.

[Chester]

I am very guilty of this. In the middle of the night, sitting on the loo, anytime really, I go straight to Dr Google's waiting room.

And if Dr Google doesn't satisfy my enquiry I keep looking and when I do find something I suddenly realise I have all the symptoms.

The slight normal tummy pain every now and then after eating is not IBS, its the onset of the end!

I can't possibly have such a normal illness. I'm not tired, its liver failure! Oh I look blotchy, are my eyes yellow?

It's so stupid and obvious but we all do it all the time.

[kriscanada]

I am new to this website and been going threw various anxiety issues for ten years, my newest is health anxiety as it seems to be the new modern day anxiety epidemic!! A few months ago I found a swollen lymph node in my neck, googled it.. Of course it's lymphoma!! I'm only 26 and have no other symptoms, been to countless doctors and because of dr google, still feel like they all must have missed something because the people of google said so!! Weird part is, I know how stupid it is to google it but I still do it, work myself up and go through unnecessary panic !! Vicious cycle that's for sure!

[Chester]

I am new to this website and been going threw various anxiety issues for ten years, my newest is health anxiety as it seems to be the new modern day anxiety epidemic!! A few months ago I found a swollen lymph node in my neck, googled it.. Of course it's lymphoma!! I'm only 26 and have no other symptoms, been to countless doctors and because of dr google, still feel like they all must have missed something because the people of google said so!! Weird part is, I know how stupid it is to google it but I still do it, work myself up and go through unnecessary panic !! Vicious cycle that's for sure!

I do the same, I'm around the same age as you and I convince myself with these symptoms that I'm the 0.000000000001% of people under an older age who has picked up these odd rare diseases