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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When it comes to our health, millions of Americans are turning to the internet for advice, but doctors say you could be doing more harm than good.
Researchers say there is a lot of wrong information on the internet and self diagnosis can lead to unnecessary worry and stress.
“I think 30-50% of people who go to see a doctor have already been on the internet to look up their symptoms and figure out what is going on with them,” said Dr. J.O. Patterson with Midtown Internal Medicine.
Dr. Patterson said one of the first things he now asks patients is if they have been on the internet and what they think they have.
He said his worse case scenario was a patient who had abdominal and back pain and was so sure she had ovarian cancer that she ignored his diagnosis.
“She ended up giving away a lot of her possessions , but more tragically she didn’t let me pursue the backache and the weakness. It turns out she had Spinal Stenosis which is treatable. If she had gotten her to a neurosurgeon in time he could have operated. She ended up not dying from cancer, but being paralyzed,” said Dr. Patterson.
A study by Harvard Medical showed symptom checkers only got an accurate diagnosis the first try about 34% of the time.
Doctors say sites like the CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic and even WebMD provide reliable information, but they should send you straight to your doctor’s office.
