The Dangers of Looking Up Symptoms Online

Do you seem to be getting dizzy for no reason, suddenly feel tired or achy, or have an odd twinge of pain somewhere? If you experienced any of these symptoms or countless others, you might be tempted to run to Google and see what it could mean.

After all, searching for advice or information on the internet is something all of us do for countless things, right? Well, that might be true, but searching for information about your health and especially symptoms can often lead to more trouble.

You might (and to be honest likely will) just cause yourself more panic and anxiety. It’s easy to suddenly see a serious illness or condition listed and go straight to the worst-case scenario. You might tell yourself not to panic, but that is much easier said than done.

The Dangers of Internet Health 

Remember, anyone can put information on the internet, and not every website is going to be 100% reliable or accurate. Websites like Wikipedia are very popular, but the information presented isn’t always going to be true.

Health anxiety is already a major problem for many people, and this has gotten worse and more prevalent since the Covid-19 pandemic. This has caused more people to panic and become anxious over symptoms that could just be signs of minor illnesses or conditions.

Finally, relying on the internet for health information could easily lead to more extreme mental health conditions like hypochondria. You might also fall victim to fraudsters who claim they can offer medicines and other tonics to help you.

Remember, if you are suffering from symptoms and aren’t sure what could be causing them, contact your GP or speak to your local pharmacist. They’ll be able to offer more helpful advice that will be able to help you.