Table of Contents
Should I be googling my symptoms?
The biggest reason that you should never google your symptoms is that you’re not a doctor. We don’t say this to be flippant or dismissive; there’s a reason we trust doctors with the most vulnerable and frightening moments in our health journeys. Two in five people end up diagnosing themselves with a serious disease after using Googling their symptoms. A survey of 2,000 Americans found that 43% of them had misdiagnosed themselves after searching their symptoms online. Symptom checkers, those tools that ask for information and suggest a diagnosis, are accurate only about half of the time. Not only is self-diagnosing bad, but it can also be dangerous. If you jump to conclusions about the condition you’re suffering from, you may begin wrongful treatment. When individuals self-diagnosis psychological syndromes, they can miss a medical disease that contributes to their symptoms.
Is there a website where I can list my symptoms?
Isabel – The Symptom Checker doctors use and trust Our symptom checker is quick and easy to use – enter as many symptoms as you like without the endless questions. Symptom checkers are used by doctors and medical group members in hospitals around the world to help diagnose patients with ailments, such as COVID-19, the flu, or even a severe menstrual period. Most often, patients conveyed that symptom checker use enabled them to determine whether their condition might be serious, which helped them distinguish when to seek medical attention based on symptoms and severity (49/175, 28.0%; see Multimedia Appendix 5 for additional findings). The biggest reason that you should never google your symptoms is that you’re not a doctor. We don’t say this to be flippant or dismissive; there’s a reason we trust doctors with the most vulnerable and frightening moments in our health journeys. If you’re experiencing unusual symptoms, it’s important to be evaluated by a health care provider to rule out any medical problems. Your health care provider can perform a comprehensive examination that focuses on your specific concerns.