Looking up our symptoms online and self-diagnosing is something many of us are guilty of. But can we really trust Dr. Google?
Today, a reassuring study has concluded that this is possible.
In fact, researchers found that women with ovarian cancer sought symptoms of the disease, such as weight loss and bloating, for up to a year before being referred to a specialist.
Scientists from Imperial College London said their findings, based on Google histories of more than 200 women, had “huge potential” in early detection of disease.
Other studies have also supported the use of Dr. Google supported. For example, a 2021 Harvard Medical School survey of 5,000 adults suggested that researching your symptoms online can result in an accurate diagnosis, contrary to popular belief.
A study from Imperial College London has found that looking up your symptoms online can even help you detect deadly cancer up to a year earlier
Googling symptoms may not yield anything, but it will send patients into a downward spiral of anxiety or dismiss something that a professional should take into account
Importantly, they found that this does not make you more anxious, despite what many doctors think.
One of the researchers even said at the time, “Our work suggests that it’s probably okay to tell our patients to ‘Google it.’ This is starting to build the evidence base that there isn’t much harm in that, and there may be some good in it.”
Yet the reality is not so clear and searching online should never become a ‘replacement’ for a real doctor, experts say.
Regardless of what studies show, they say Googling symptoms can send patients into a spiral of anxiety, or cause them to dismiss something that a professional should take into account.
For example, one innocent Google search to find the cause of your headache can cause you to worry unnecessarily that you have cancer.
To test that cyberchondria theory, MailOnline entered the term “toe pain cancer” into Google. Dozens of results linked daily pain to serious diseases
To test that cyberchondria theory, MailOnline entered the term “toe pain cancer” into Google.
Dozens of results linked daily pain to serious diseases.
The vast majority of results appeared to be rare cases of cancer in another part of the body that had spread to the bones, usually the toes.
Although toe pain could theoretically be a sign of cancer, the NHS says such pain is likely to be caused by too much exercise or tight-fitting shoes.
Other much more likely causes of toe pain, according to doctors, are ingrown toenails, bunions, chilblains, as well as a broken toe or gout.
On the other hand, online search results for “unintentional weight loss” – considered a classic potential cancer symptom – barely mentioned the disease.
Online search results for “unintentional weight loss” – considered a classic potential cancer symptom – made scant mention of the disease. Instead, MailOnline found that Google’s algorithm was directing people to different resources about seeking support for eating disorders
Instead, MailOnline found that Google’s algorithm was directing people to different resources about seeking support for eating disorders.
Unintentional weight loss was only directly mentioned as a possible symptom after almost a dozen results.
The NHS warns that unintentional weight loss, losing weight for no reason such as stress or exercise, is a possible sign of cancer.
She advises people to talk to their doctor to determine the cause if they notice they have lost weight unexpectedly in recent months.
Cancer is just one of the possible medical causes of unintentional weight loss.
Others include digestive problems such as celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome, as well as other serious health conditions such as an overactive thyroid, type 2 diabetes or heart failure. These are all health problems for which a patient may need help and treatment.
Similarly, some symptom checkers turn out to be right only a third of the time.
This is what researchers from Edith Cowan University in Australia say, who studied 36 online tools.
Online checkers only gave the correct diagnosis as the first result 36 percent of the time.
Although many websites, including the NHS, provide accurate information, there are many people should be careful with. Experts therefore emphasize that Dr. Google should not be treated as gospel.
Thorrun Govind, former president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England, told MailOnline: ‘I recognize that because it takes time to access healthcare professionals, people may prefer to go online and see Dr. Try Google.
“I think the problem is what they put into that search engine to find out what they’re looking for.
‘It also depends on what they get from that search engine. Sometimes they find something very disturbing, which they may have to explain.’
‘Dr. Google is not a substitute for a healthcare professional who can take into account the person in front of them, consider who they are, the risks and benefits of treatment and provide much more detailed advice.
‘Advice people find online is likely to be more general if they see Dr. Use Google.”
Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies said: ‘While there are benefits to checking symptoms on verified and trusted websites such as the NHS website, unfortunately there are many unverified websites providing information on the internet and therefore people will be very careful must be .’
She has come across cases where patients relied on information online to self-diagnose and treat themselves, but this had “serious consequences.”
“Our advice is to always contact a healthcare provider if you have symptoms,” she said.
Pharmacies can also provide information and advice about medicines, minor conditions and treatments. They can also point the way to a relevant healthcare provider if necessary.