According to one recent study made by Bupa Health, it is found that the search engine could diagnose you with anything from an utterly reversible vitamin B12 deficiency, to sciatica, or worse multiple sclerosis.
The development of the internet has changed our lifestyle. We order our food, clothes and many other things from the internet. Ordering food and clothes is not only the thing we even consult with the internet whenever we fell unwell. It’s so much more convenient than making an appointment with a doctor, sitting in a germ-splattered waiting room and going through the rigmarole of describing your symptoms in actual words to a real person. The success of this beautiful World Wide Web is because humans are inherently lazy.
Writer Shelley Stocken did a little experiment. She entered three symptoms into Google, one by one. For each symptom, she recorded the first three possible diagnoses that came up in my search results, regardless of where they came from.
Then she compared those possible diagnoses with advice from a range of medical experts. She asked the doctors, “What would you ask the patient?”, “What tests would you do?” and “In your experience, what is the most common diagnosis for this symptom?”
SYMPTOM 1: THREE DAY HEADACHE
What Google suggested:
Brain tumor, aneurysm or migraine
What the experts would ask:
What other symptoms do you have? What medications or alternative therapies do you use? Have you had a headache like this before? What’s your medical history?
What tests would an expert do?
Neurological tests for weakness or abnormal reflexes. Checking for fever and infections. Depending on medical history, CT or MRI scans.
Most common diagnosis:
Migraine or tension headache
SYMPTOM 2: SWOLLEN ANKLES
What Google suggested:
Heart disease, kidney failure or liver failure
What the experts would ask:
Have you injured your ankles recently? Do you have a history of heart disease or varicose veins? Is it worse at a particular time of day? What medications or alternative treatments do you use?
What tests would an expert do?
Listening to the heartbeat with a stethoscope and checking the pulse and checking the legs for DVT and checking the lungs, skin, and eyes for inflammation. If heart problems are suspected, further cardiac tests like an echocardiogram or electrocardiograph.
Most common diagnosis:
Varicose veins or build-up of fluid
SYMPTOM 3: SHARP PAIN THE STOMACH
What Google suggested:
Appendicitis, pregnancy or gallstones
What the experts would ask:
How long have you had the pain? Do you have any other symptoms? When is it worst? What have your bowel movements been like? What medications or alternative therapies do you use? What’s your diet like? What’s your medical history?
What tests would an expert do?
I am feeling the abdomen and listening for bowel sounds. If an infection is suspected, a stool sample might be taken.
Most common diagnosis:
Gastro or constipation
After concluding the experiment, Stocken writes. It’s clear to see that the kinds of questions and tests that medical experts employ to diagnose the cause of symptoms are detailed, complex, and rely on seeing, examining and listening to their patients. Internet-based health information can be valuable.
But our health depends on so much more than what we can read and interpret online. Dr. Google is no substitute for a thorough, face-to-face consultation with a qualified medical expert. How else will you know for sure you’re not pregnant with a liver-eating brain tumor?
