Doctor Google

[mantra]

How many of us get an ache or symptoms of something strange - so google it for a diagnosis? I do at times and find that the online articles are no better or worse than the responses from my local doctor. Online I've found 3 successful solutions to medical problems relating to muscles, tendons and a simple digestive issue which after numerous scans and x rays have left doctors baffled and with no solution - yet the solution has been so simple.

Of course you couldn't self diagnose for something that might be life threatening such as bleeding, severe internal pain or infections - but there are some issues we have with our body that with just a little research can supply us with the elusive diagnosis.

Obviously doctors are against this - but not necessarily for altruistic reasons.

PATIENTS have been warned to stay away from online self-diagnosis as people are increasingly falling victim to Dr Google.

The popular search engine has become the first port of call for Australians with health concerns with many misdiagnosing their problems.

NSW doctors yesterday joined forces to urge the population to stick with the experts.

NSW Australian Medical Association medical director Dr Robyn Napier said diagnosis through the popular search engine could have devastating consequences.

"It's a serious problem," she said. "When you take a symptom out of context of the whole body you can't possibly diagnose."

International BUPA Health Pulse Feb 2011 survey found nearly 80 per cent of Australians sought health advice online. Every second Australian admitted to self-diagnosing a health problem.

In Britain, surveys showed every fourth women had misdiagnosed herself on the internet - then bought the wrong medicine.

Bondi Junction general practitioner Dr Michael Elstein said people increasingly took to the internet because "they want to get their own information and they want to feel empowered".

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifest ... 6333741326" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[freediver]

It is actually pretty easy to self diagnose bleeding.

Dr Google is a reasonable option in many circumstances. The problem is the idiots who use it. You only have to look at Aussie's attempts to comprehend the constitution and what people have posted here to see how badly things could go.

[boxy]

I googled

I'm bleeding to death

No fucking help, whatsoever. Fuck you google, you have betrayed my trust!

Gurgle!

[mantra]

It depends where the bleeding is coming from.

I was thinking more along the lines of pulled tendons, strained muscles etc. and exercises and remedies used to alleviate that ache. Recently my right arm started hurting and I couldn't lift anything heavy. I need that arm to be in good working order so after a little research I discovered it was golfer's elbow - not tennis elbow - that's a different bone. As I don't play golf - the only way I could have gotten it is by tossing small balls of meat overarm to the magpies on top of a 12' high outbuilding which they'd catch in their beaks. As there's no cure - you have to change your movements which I did. So simple - yet so effective.

Dr Google is a reasonable option in many circumstances. The problem is the idiots who use it. You only have to look at Aussie's attempts to comprehend the constitution and what people have posted here to see how badly things could go.

The constitution is difficult to understand. Most members couldn't even be bothered trying to interpret it. It's very inflammatory - but then maybe that's how it's meant to be.

[Bart]

It depends where the bleeding is coming from.

Yes I can see a rise each month from women googlers.

[freediver]

It depends where the bleeding is coming from.

I was thinking more along the lines of pulled tendons, strained muscles etc. and exercises and remedies used to alleviate that ache. Recently my right arm started hurting and I couldn't lift anything heavy. I need that arm to be in good working order so after a little research I discovered it was golfer's elbow - not tennis elbow - that's a different bone. As I don't play golf - the only way I could have gotten it is by tossing small balls of meat overarm to the magpies on top of a 12' high outbuilding which they'd catch in their beaks. As there's no cure - you have to change your movements which I did. So simple - yet so effective.

Dr Google is a reasonable option in many circumstances. The problem is the idiots who use it. You only have to look at Aussie's attempts to comprehend the constitution and what people have posted here to see how badly things could go.

The constitution is difficult to understand. Most members couldn't even be bothered trying to interpret it. It's very inflammatory - but then maybe that's how it's meant to be.

I hear you girlfriend. Exercise is so dangerous these days, but it is important to maintain the natural imbalance in your local environment. I lost my left arm the other day and spent hours googling but had no luck. Then I realised I could still type OK, looked down, and there it was!

[Bart]

I hear you girlfriend.

OMFG


FDH is just sooo thuper Mantra

[Bart]

I hear you girlfriend.

you go girl

[mantra]

I hear you girlfriend. Exercise is so dangerous these days, but it is important to maintain the natural imbalance in your local environment. I lost my left arm the other day and spent hours googling but had no luck. Then I realised I could still type OK, looked down, and there it was!

Haha - do I detect a little cynicism?

Natural imbalance? Is there such a thing as a natural balance today when habitats in mature bushland are being cleared at thousands of square kms annually. Obviously our native animals sometimes need a little help if they are to thrive and survive especially around the areas where so much new development is taking place.

Future generations will only know what kangaroos, magpies etc. look like from pictures.

[freediver]

But is it actually help, or just making things worse? Nature is more than just a dozen or so charismatic macrovertebrates. Feeding predators is about the worst thing you could possibly do to the natural balance, and most wild animals that people feed are at least partly predatorial - eg possums, magpies, kookaburras, stray cats etc. Even the humble birdfeeder is discouraged by most genuine bird enthusiasts because of the problems it causes.

Back to the original topic - google has several advantages over your GP. One is motivation. You will be a lot more motivated than your GP to track down all the information. One is time - you will spend a lot more than the 15 minutes your GP or specialist allots to you, if it is serious enough. This allows you to take advantage of all the extra information available, which can come in particularly useful in diagnosing rare or recently described conditions. There are now many online communities dedicated to every disease there is. Online video diagnosis has several advantages over a textbook diagnosis (which most doctors still use) - at least for 'external' symptoms. That is, where you look at video examples of certain disorders in other people. A text description will never fully capture the subtleties of some behavioural disorders or mild physical changes. Even photos can fail to capture aspects that become instantly clear in a video. But if you spend enough time online you will eventually come across videos that negate the need to understand any of the medical jargon used to describe and identify the outwardly visible symptoms. In this context the medical establishment can actually become a barrier to a diagnosis.