An internet search of your symptoms may not sound like good medical advice, but a new study finds it can actually help.
For years we've heard medical professionals tell us it's a bad idea to google our symptoms. Some even roll their eyes when we're in the office when we share what we've found online.
Well, now researchers say patients who use “Dr. Google” to find out what’s wrong with them will likely get the right diagnosis.
Researchers said “cyberchondria” is real.
The anxiety brought on by continuously looking up every ailment online has even pushed some medical professionals to urge patients not to look their symptoms up online before seeing them.
This anxiety can lead people to think they’re on death’s door when in fact they are perfectly healthy.
Regardless, study authors concluded that using the internet to check your symptoms may not be such a bad idea after all.
Googling symptoms improves peoples’ ability to diagnose their illness without adding additional stress.