Cultured Views

Self-diagnosing online

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The internet has become a very interesting tool in recent times to the extent that people are now using it to diagnose their own illnesses. Would you try such a thing…?

Most families, years ago, had one of those medical encyclopaedias that sat on the bookshelf in the living room or study. If the kids came down with some strange rash Mum would run to the book and look it up but always head off to the doctor in the end.

I suppose the internet, with it’s seemingly endless store of information, has replaced the old family medical bible and this has proved to be a divine providence for some people. One lady suffered recurring miscarriages until she looked up her symptoms online and took her information to the doctor - she now has two healthy children.

Another lady in the UK was desperate to find out what was causing her little girl’s sudden blackouts - scans and tests had not revealed the cause - she went online and after a few weeks of searching discovered the actual cause. Result…? her little girl is now receiving the treatment she needed and is doing well.

It seems that a ‘find-it-yourself cure can be found online so long as you are diligent and willing to put in the time to do the searching. Depending on what the condition is just a few keywords could suffice; then there are conditions which are very well served on millions of websites enabling people to stay up to date on new advances in treatments. Just for an example; those with recurring acne will be able to find a myriad of treatments online these days - the words “click here for acne cures” will lead you to a host of solutions.

Just remember though, as informative as the internet can be, don’t forget that your doctor needs to be kept in the picture along the way.

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