does anyone else freak about when the media launches a cancer campaign

[mags1501]

I logged onto bbc news website a couple of days ago and there it was,

Persistent heartburn can be a symptom of stomach/esophagus cancer...and guess what I've have persistent heartburn for months now. Dr has done bloods (normal) and a couple of visits to an homeopath seemed to clear it up but unfortunately she became ill and I had to stop, and it's come back

Today in our local paper - a local woman wants us to be aware of persistent heartburn leading to esophagus cancer.

It makes my heart pound and I can feel the acid rising up, and yet again I am convinced I have it.

I've had a good day with it today, as I've decided to go gluten free just to see if that makes any difference.

I probably need to stop reading the news/papers

I read a self help book that explained that these warnings from the media/medical profession are not meant for us health anxiety sufferers..(we already know too much:D)

[herbie73]

I know how you feel, my dad has had indigestion for about 30 years on and off, also the one about the Cough for three weeks, I know many people who have had a cough for months they are still alive, its scare mongering, it just adds to your anxiety, I think we need to ignore all of these adverts, I'm sure we would know if something was really wrong.xxx

[jimsmrs]

Yes I saw that in the paper about heartburn. It's worse than Dr Google sometimes, Pregnant women suffer from heartburn and some of the anti-depressant side-effects include heartburn:doh:

[Hck80]

I feel exactly the same and on the radio the other day there was an advert for throat cancer and saying if good sticks in your throat. Que me having a melt down!!

[Mindknot]

Yeah, there was another post about this since the heartburn campaign came out. Of course they are never aimed at HA sufferers and in fact are aimed at very small sections of the population who may not go to the doctor... but they are designed to be seen, so we see them... It's tricky. What annoys me is they never say "if you're feeling dizzy, have headaches and hyperventilating when you see this advert, you may be suffering from anxiety, make an appointment to see your gp"!

[jimsmrs]

Very true mindknot, they should carry a health warning!!!

[Munchlet]

Yes definitely, for a while I worried about blood in urine. I couldn't see anything but spent ages worrying about it then one day ate a load of beetroot and had pink urine for a day. Few days later the advert comes on the radio and it says "maybe it was just that beetroot I ate" if in doubt check it out.

So I then spent weeks worrying about it and thinking i needed to go to the doctors because maybe it wasn't the beetroot but blood.

I understand that they are heightening awareness but for people with health anxiety it's a nightmare. I also wonder how many more appointments are being made with doctors over these adverts for which 99% of the time are benign problems.

They keep saying about how doctors can't cope but surely these campaigns just increase the problem. I know that they will have saved some peoples lives which is a good thing but I think they need to be a bit more tailored if that makes sense? To me they just scaremonger and worry people who are probably absolutely fine.