Are you a cyberchondriac ? And isn’t that a fun word!
Do you even know what a cyberchondriac is? Do you Google your symptoms if you are feeling unwell.
I have to confess I do..I then often wish I hadn’t.
I remember searching symptoms for what in the end turned out to be athletes foot but in my search ended up as some terrible tropical fungal infection that could lead to amputation. OMG! I was properly terrified.
There are so many pros and cons to googling your symptoms aren’t there?
As you can see below 81% of people surveyed said they had done this and their are benefits. Spending hours at A&E and struggling to get a doctors appointment can all be off putting and time consuming. Having a quick search online can be reassuring and informative.
However you can end up reading long problem pages that can make you fear the worst and you can of course get untrustworthy advice if you search in the wrong place.
You can end up imagining all sorts when really it might just be something very simple. OR you might up up not taking symptoms seriously that really should be checked out by a doctor. Some things can be really embarrassing to talk about I know.People aged 14 to 25 are most likely to search for issues relating to sexual health, such as STIs and the reality is most of them are going to search online.
Safe searching fr the cyberchondriac
So I guess the real question is how do we search productively and safely?
Well NHS websites and online pharmacies such as Online Doctor LloydsPharmacy are the best places to go for sound advice. LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor have NHS accredited doctors who have helped treat over 1,000,000 patients in the UK.
They can also arrange convenient Same-Day Collection in over 1,900 stores, or get FREE standard or Next-Day delivery. That’s a pretty useful service right there! So for the morning after pill, erectile dysfunction, travel vaccines and so much more you really can get the medical help you need from an online pharmacy with a really quick collection point and correct and valuable advice.
Personally I would advise if you are really concerned about any symptoms you have get yourself straight to your doctors so your symptoms can be seen.
You matter too much to chance it.
Are you a cyberchondriac? You don’t need to be anymore
Are you a cyberchondriac is a collaborative post – you might also like my post on how to be more content
