Why you should stop googling your symptoms

Relying on Dr Google can fuel anxiety, lead to misdiagnoses, and worsen your health. Read on to know more about why you should stop googling your symptoms.

Do you Google your symptoms every time you fall sick? Have you ever wondered if you actually have that tumour that your search engine is suggesting because of your headache or stomach ache? Did you know that the urge to search for your symptoms online can lead to a clinical disorder?

The anxiety that develops while searching online for medical information is known as cyberchondria. According to a Pew Research Center report, 72% of internet users say they referred to Dr Google for health information of one kind or another in a year. This includes searches related to serious conditions, general information searches, and searches for minor health problems.

"A simple search for a headache might suggest stress or even brain tumours. This overexposure to worst-case scenarios fuels fear and anxiety. Cyberchondria is compulsive searching for medical information," said Dr. Amit Vikram, additional chief medical officer, Ghaziabad, UP government.

He explained that the issue is not the internet itself but how it is used. "Googling starts a cycle - anxiety drives searches, which amplifies anxiety with extreme outcomes. This habit can mimic obsessive tendencies and undermine trust in doctors. One must limit searches and rely on professionals to avoid the trap of self-diagnosis," he said.

In the digital age, googling symptoms has become a major trigger for health anxiety. Patients often refer to a doctor in a disturbed state because they have Googled their symptoms, leading them to fear the worst.

Explaining this further, Dr. Saroj Dubey, a gastroenterologist at Kailash Hospital, said, "Often, more than the primary symptoms, it is a patient's fear and anxiety related to this Googling that prolongs the duration of illness. To alleviate their fears, we often have to do a lot of tests, after which they are somewhat relieved."

Doctors say that referring to Dr Google can lead to misdiagnosis, unnecessary worry, and decreased quality of life. "The internet can exacerbate health anxiety by providing a vast amount of information, some of which may be inaccurate or misleading," says Dr Nitika Nijhara, a dermatologist at Delhi's Aadhya 9 Hospital.

While the internet offers accessibility, it often propagates inaccuracies, fuelling anxiety and misinterpretation of symptoms, leading to self-diagnoses or the adoption of unverified treatments, ultimately hindering a patient's well-being and complicating their path to proper treatment.

Dr. Nidhi Choudhary, an associate consultant at Max Super Specialty Hospital, said, "As a healthcare professional, I have observed the pitfalls of patients relying on online information for medical guidance. Accurate diagnosis demands nuanced clinical expertise and specialised testing-elements no digital resource can replicate."

"While online platforms may aid general awareness, they cannot substitute the precision and clarity that only expert medical consultation provides," she added.

CYBERCHONDRIA SYMPTOMS

• A compulsive, unwanted search for information about minor health-related symptoms that you're experiencing
• Fear of having at least one serious illness, and possibly several
• Searching online causes you more fear and anxiety instead of relief
• You experience an increase in heart rate, sweating, or other anxiety-related symptoms when searching
• You jump to the worst conclusions about your health condition
• You may have a minor, harmless health condition, such as a benign cyst, but you worry excessively about it
• You assume that what you find online is accurate and truthful
• Mistrust of medical professionals whose advice could be obtained in person

HOW TO DEAL WITH CYBERCHONDRIA

• Seek medical help
• Meditate and exercise
• Eat healthily
• Go offline
• Don't blame yourself

All things said, we can't really stop you from Googling your symptoms. What we suggest is that you let science do the talking. Trust your doctor. And if you are experiencing any cyberchondria symptoms, seeing a