Online Medical Information

In the current age of the Internet, patients may be looking up information about their own conditions. Is this a good or bad thing?

In the old days, people would completely trust doctors with all of their medical care. This may still be true today, but more and more, patients are looking up stuff on the Internet for information related to the conditions they have or might have. In my opinion, it may help you understand your condition better, if you do it carefully. Otherwise, it's a double-edged sword with pitfalls:

• You might focus on one diagnosis without looking at the other possibilities, which a doctor can do.
• You might see another condition whose clinical presentation seems to better match yours but miss an important fact about it that makes it unlikely to be your condition.
• You might focus on another treatment for your condition without understanding why your current treatment is just fine.
• You might get overly anxious about drug side effects, particularly uncommon and rare ones.
• You might read about stuff that is wrong or biased.
• You might refuse a doctor's recommendations because of something you read.

Just remember that nothing substitutes for talking to your doctor, who can sort it all the diagnostic possibilities and treatment options plus answer any questions you may have. If you don't agree, get a second opinion.